Seasonal variation of air pollution is associated with variety of seasons and specificity of particular months which form the so-called summer and winter season also known as the “heating” season. The occurrence of higher values of air pollution in different months of a year is associated with the type of climate, and accordingly with different atmospheric conditions in particular months, changing state of weather on a given day, and anthropogenic activity. The appearance of these conditions results in different levels of air pollution characteristic for a given period. The study uses data collected during a seven-year period (2009–2015) in the automatic measuring station of immissions located in Eastern Wielkopolska. The analysis concerns the average and maximum values of air pollution (i.e., particulate matter PM10, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone) from the perspective of their occurrence in particular seasons and months or in relation to meteorological actors such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed.

The inhabitants of cities, towns, and villages are exposed to different levels of air pollution, which also vary throughout the day. Information regarding episodes of poor and good air quality enables planning to mitigate the risks and maximize the benefits of spending time outdoors. In this work, an analysis was made of the state of air quality 2012–2016, using data gathered from automatic measuring stations located in five cities (> 50,000 inhabitants), five towns (5000–50,000 inhabitants), and five villages (< 5000 inhabitants) in five neighboring provinces in central Poland, in Central Europe. The monitoring stations were designated as “city background”, “town background”, and “rural background”. More than 3 million pieces of data were collected from 15 monitoring stations. This allowed the average daily changes in the concentration of air pollutants (NO 2 and NO x , O 3 , SO 2 , CO, PM 10 , PM 2.5 , C 6 H 6 ) to be determined, depending on the type of station and the size of the settlement unit in both winter periods and summer periods. As a result, the most and least favorable hours in terms of levels of air pollution were identified. This information could help to inform air quality management in modern cities, towns, and villages and to improve the quality of life, particularly among those most susceptible to the negative effects of air pollution, such as the elderly and children. Graphical Abstract

The concentrations of suspended particulate matter PM10 in two-month winter period, i.e. December–January in years 2009–2015, were analyzed in relation to the values of wind speed in that time. It was possible to analyze results of air pollution measurements performed in the measuring station from the perspective of their higher levels in winter seasons (so-called smog episodes). Results from 3 stations of the Regional Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Poznań (WIOŚ Poznań) served for better presentation of smog episodes in the region (black smog) and aimed at verification of correctness of the measurements of pollution immission in the monitoring station in Piotrkowice which is situated in vicinity of large combustion plant. The analysis confirmed that with low speeds of wind higher values of particulate matter PM10 were observed. The results of the analysis also show the displacement of pollutants according to the current wind direction or their local persistence for a longer time over one area.

The quality of atmospheric air and the level of its pollution is inextricably linked with the development of humanity. Its prevalence and the lack of any natural protective barriers causes that it becomes a recipient of increasingly large amounts of different types of pollutants. This is particularly dangerous in the areas where both meteorological conditions and type of building prevent the spread of pollution. By using a portable gas micro-chromatograph it is possible to observe and analyze a seasonal impact of building density on carbon dioxide concentration and the effect of atmospheric conditions on CO2 level in the air in a specified area.

Abstract:The condition and quality of atmospheric air plays a very important role in the life of every living organism, including man. Every day we breathe atmospheric air containing CO2 whose level changes depending both on many external factors and physicochemical processes. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air changes, among other things, due to the influence of communication routes which may adversely affect the environment. For this reason it is necessary to analyze changes in CO2 concentrations and try to determine their impact on the functioning of users of the area (so, one can observe and analyze seasonal impact of communication routes on separate sub-areas of research).