BIOCLIMATIC AND AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS IN THE GREATER ATHENS AREA, GREECE, DURING THE WARM PERIOD OF THE YEAR: TRENDS, VARIABILITY AND PERSISTENCE

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study the bioclimatic conditions as well as the air quality for three different regions of the greater Athens area (GAA), during the warm period of the year for the time period 2001-2005. Furthermore, the thermal discomfort and the air pollution persistence within 24 hours were studied. Finally, both the variability and the trend of the bioclimatic and air quality conditions during the examined period were studied. In order to determine the human thermal comfort-discomfort levels, a widely used biometeorological index, the Cooling Power Index, and microclimatic data (air temperature and wind speed) were used. On the other hand, data concerning the air pollutant concentrations surface ozone (O-3) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 mu m (PM10) measured over this area were used for the determination of the air quality levels. The performed analysis indicates throughout the examined area degradation of the air quality and intensive thermal discomfort episodes. More specifically, during the warm period of the year a relatively high frequency of days, in the city center of Athens showing thermal discomfort and air quality degradation, simultaneously, is observed. On the contrary, on the suburban GAA's monitoring sites a reduction of the frequency of days with thermal discomfort is observed while the number of days with air pollution exacerbations is relatively high. In any case, during the examined period the environmental conditions due to bioclimatic and air quality parameters seem to be rather degraded.