Emissions from port operation and shipping have a significant impact on climate risk, affecting the environment and human health in coastal regions (UNEP). The port of Heraklion, located on the island of Crete over the eastern Mediterranean, plays a key role in the sustainability of Southeast Europe. The impact on its operation affects the socio-economic life and development of the region because Heraklion is not just a tourist destination but also a significant trade and transportation center for the eastern Mediterranean. This study investigates the impact of port operation on the air quality of Heraklion between two representative periods. The first, which is considered as the high port activity season, was from 02 August 2018 to 08 August 2018, while the second period was between 11 May 2018 and 16 May 2018. For the air quality measurements, a low-cost sensor was used, while the recordings were initially compared and finally evaluated based on the available data of the monitoring station of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. To investigate the air quality differences between the two studied periods, the correlation analysis, the hourly evolution of pollutants, and the mean differences between high and low periods for gaseous pollutants and particulate matter are studied. Moreover, the effect of meteorology on air quality is investigated. The results indicate that the high season is characterized by significantly higher concentrations of pollutants compared to the other period. In both seasons studied, the air pollution level increases during hours of high port-activity, indicating the impact of port activity on air quality in Heraklion. The analysis shows that meteorology affects the air quality. In particular, strong wind speeds are associated with lower concentrations of gaseous pollutants other than ozone, which is affected by atmospheric circulation. Finally, the analysis emphasizes the importance of further investigation of the impact of port operations on coastal air quality in the context of sustainable development.

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Among the most important trade bridges for Western Europe and the Balkans is the Port of Igoumenitsa in Western Greece, which experiences heavy traffic of goods and passengers. This case analysis primarily aims to investigate the effect of shipping and port operations on air quality in the Port of Igoumenitsa, comparing two representative short case seasons of air quality measurement campaigns. The high activity season ranges from 25 to 31 August 2018, while the low season ranges from 17 to 25 May 2018. A mobile air quality monitoring system was used to perform the analysis. To compare the air quality of the examined periods, the wind speed rose diagrams, the correlation analysis, as well as the hourly variations in concentrations of pollutants and meteorological parameters, were studied. In addition, the impact of meteorology and atmospheric circulation on local air quality were investigated. For study implementation, various types of data, obtained from NASA Worldview application, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), and Giovanni online system (NASA-GES-DISC) were included. The results indicate that port operations affect the air quality in the Port of Igoumenitsa, as the high season showed higher concentrations of air pollutants compared to the low season. A notable exception was the concentration of PMs, which was affected by an African dust transfer event during the low season. Finally, the findings indicate that climatic factors affect the pollution levels of the case analysis, and emphasize the importance of developing a green and sustainable management system within the port.