This paper aims to interpret and to use within a statistical analysis the concentration profiles of the main air pollutants – i.e., nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and suspended particulate matter (PM10) – results recorded during the first half of 2021 by two air quality monitoring stations in Craiova, which is an important metropolitan area in Southern Romania. Another goal of the paper is finding the best numerical diffusion model to fit the recorded values for PM10, as this pollutant seems to be the major problem, because its daily average is often higher than the European Union threshold, meaning that imperative measures have to be taken for reducing particulate matter concentration in Craiova (like in other major Romanian metropolitan areas), in order for Romania to get the exoneration regarding air pollution from the European Union and, of course, for its citizens to improve the quality of their lives.

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As hot spot mapping has become an usual technique used worldwide in order to obtain a clearer view on the geographic incidence of several factors from the most diverse fields, this paper aims to present a case study (developed late 2020 and early 2021) regarding air quality status of Craiova – an important Romanian city – involving the most relevant three gaseous air pollutants. The study has been realized by using a modern technique for generating hot spot maps on grids, as smooth continuous surfaces, which is Kernel Density Estimation (KDE).

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