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Air pollution, in terms of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0) and gaseous pollutants (H2S and VOC), has serious health effects, particularly in cities. The evaluation of outdoor air quality was carried out in the vicinity of a small paintshop operating in the city of Łódź, Poland. The concentrations of pollutants in the vertical profiles (up to 47 m a.g.l.) of ambient air were measured using a mobile platform (unmanned aerial vehicle with measuring equipment) during three measurement campaigns in September 2021. The vertical structure of the pollutant concentrations indicated the occurrence of different types of layers with an almost constant concentration near the land surface, a strong decrease (up to ca. 10–15 m a.g.l.), and significant fluctuations in concentrations to higher levels (above 25 m a.g.l.). Particulate matter concentrations (PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0) did not exceed 39 µg m−3, with stable levels on the surface. The maximum value of particulate matter concentrations (up to 38.5 µg m−3) in the vertical profiles was recorded at ca. 35–40 m a.g.l. The average concentrations of H2S and VOC varied between 0.07 and 0.12 ppm and 0.01 and 0.27 ppm, respectively. The highest H2S concentrations were observed at ca. 18–23 m a.g.l., reaching 0.14 ppm. A rapid increase in VOC concentrations, reaching 0.29 ppm, was measured in vertical profiles from 20 m a.g.l. and up to about 40 m a.g.l. In situ measurement approaches were combined with interpolation methods in the GIS system to investigate the spatial variability of pollution levels from a specified source in the urban atmosphere. Based on the survey results, the kriging interpolation method was well suited for generating spatially distributed pollution maps for individual measurement campaigns.

This study examines the concentrations of air pollution in the vicinity of a combined heat and power plant (CHP) and a communication route, using computer modeling of pollutant dispersion and spatial analysis based on real measurements in the city of Łódź, Poland, Europe. The research takes into account the concentrations of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0) and gaseous pollutants (SO2 and VOC) in winter and summer. The spatial distribution of pollutants is discussed, including the presence of areas with increased accumulations of pollutants. Because atmospheric air has no natural boundaries, when analyzing any location, not only local sources of pollution, but also background pollution, should be analyzed. A clear difference was observed between the concentrations of pollutants in the summer and winter seasons, with significantly higher concentrations in the winter (heating) period. The impacts of road transport, individual heating systems, and combined heat and power plants were also assessed. Computer calculations confirmed that road transport accounted for the largest share of both PM and SO2 emissions. The CHP plant was responsible for the smallest percentage of dust emissions and was the next largest producer of SO2 emissions. The share of the total emissions from the individual sources were compared with the results of detailed field tests. The numerical analysis of selected pollution sources in combination with the field analysis shows that the identified pollution sources included in the analysis represent only a part of the total observed pollutant concentrations (suggesting that other background sources account for the rest).

Large industrial plants, power plants, and combined heat and power plants are popularly believed to be the main sources of point emissions, affecting both local and global air quality. This is because these installations emit significant amounts of pollutants at high altitudes every year. In this study, we investigate the impact of two solid fuel (hard coal)-fired CHP plants located within the urban agglomeration on the air quality of the city of Lodz in Poland (Europe). We used an OPA03 computer software to model the spatial distribution of pollutants. The results show that the annual average concentrations of pollutants were highest at an altitude of 25 m above ground level and decreased at lower measurement heights. The concentrations did not exceed permissible levels, reaching only 4% of national and international regulatory limits. We also made field measurements during the winter heating period, using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with sensors to map the distributions of dust and gas pollutants in the areas with the highest concentrations of emissions from the two heat and power plants. Overall, the field measurements confirmed that it is not high-altitude emissions that have the greatest impact on local air quality.

In many regions of the world, the winter period is a time of poor air quality, due primarily to the increased use of individual and district heating systems. As a consequence, the atmospheric air contains increased concentrations of both particulate matter and gaseous pollutants (as a result of “low” emissions at altitudes of up to 40 m and “high” emissions more than 40 m above ground level). In winter, the increased pollution is very often exacerbated by meteorological conditions, including air temperature, pressure, air speed, wind direction, and thermal inversion. Here, we analyze the concentrations of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0) and gaseous pollutants (H2S, SO2, and VOC) in the immediate vicinity of a large solid fuel-fired heat and power plant located in an urban agglomeration. Two locations were selected for analysis. The first was close to an air quality measurement station in the center of a multi-family housing estate. The second was the intersection of two main communication routes. To determine the impact of “low” and “high” emissions on air quality, the selected pollutants were measured at heights of between 2 and 50 m using an unmanned aerial vehicle. The results were compared with permissible standards for the concentration of pollutants. Temperature inversion was found to have a strong influence on the level of pollutants at various heights, with higher concentrations of particulate matter registered at altitudes above 40 m. The source of PM, H2S, and SO2 pollutants was confirmed to be “low emission” from local transport, industrial plant areas, and the housing estate comprising detached houses located in the vicinity of the measuring points. “High emission” was found to be responsible for the high concentrations of VOC at altitudes of more than 40 m above the intersection and in the area of the housing estate.