Monitoring nitrogen dioxide levels in urban areas in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Nitrogen dioxide is an important gaseous air pollutant. It plays a major role in atmospheric chemistry, particularly in the formation of secondary air pollutants, and contributes to environmental acidification. A comprehensive assessment of NO₂ levels in the atmosphere is required for developing effective strategies for control of air pollution and air quality improvement. Air pollution is a serious problem in all major cities of Pakistan and needs to be addressed to minimize detrimental effects on human health and urban vegetation. In this research, we focused on the monitoring of NO₂ levels in the urban environment of Rawalpindi city.

In this study, average concentrations of NO₂ were determined using diffusive passive sampling in the city boundaries of Rawalpindi.

The aims of this work have been:

• to monitor the NO₂ concentration in Rawalpindi city,
• to determine average NO₂ concentrations for different parts of the city and
• to investigate the influence of meteorological variables on the measured concentrations.

The monitoring of NO₂ is critically important, in order to assess the potential effect of NO₂ on human health and ecosystems, as well as developing strategies for the effective control of NO₂ pollution.

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