Air quality in the North of Portugal.

Abstract

Air pollution in urban areas is a major topic of concern in many large cities. In Portugal, a monitoring network measures relevant pollutants for zones and agglomerations. The measurements of two zones and four agglomerations located in the North of Portugal were used to diagnose the pollution level and the relative air quality. It was found that, despite the need for densification of the network of monitoring stations, ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) reach significant levels in a number of days during the year. Some recommendations are made regarding the inclusion of planning and mitigation actions in the Regional and Municipal Master Plan.