An ambient air quality monitoring network for Buenos Aires city

Abstract

This paper proposes an objective methodology for designing a multi-pollutant urban air-quality monitoring network to detect concentrations greater than reference concentration levels (CL). The network design includes both air quality simulation and an objective analysis based on monitoring tasks. The proposed methodology is applied to the city of Buenos Aires. Pollutants of concern are nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and PM 10. Considering CL as 50% of the Air Quality Standards, the design methodology determines six monitoring sites where to measure different pollutants at the same place. 'Spatial representativeness' of detected exceedances is evaluated analysing air quality simulations of cases with C < CL at any monitoring site and obtaining the areas in the city where concentrations are expected to exceed CL with 70%, 80% and 90% of probability.