The Role of Meteorological Factors in the Air Particulate Matter of the Patras Port Atmosphere, Greece

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 2020-09, Vol.231 (9), Article 447
• Main Authors: Apostolopoulou, Aikaterini N., Koukoulakis, Prodromos H., Kyritsis, Spyridon, Kalavrouziotis, Ioannis K., Varnavas, Soterios P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air temperature; Atmosphere; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Humidity; Hydrogeology; Particle concentration; Particulate matter; Relative humidity; Soil Science & Conservation; Statistical analysis; Suspended particulate matter; Temperature effects; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Weather; Wind; Wind direction; Wind speed
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-020-04789-3

In the present work, the interaction between temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction was studied in the atmosphere of Patras port, and the following were found: The interaction between temperature and air particle concentration was synergistic in the absence of wind direction, this result being however false. The actual effect of temperature in the presence of wind direction was antagonistic in line with most of the authors of the international bibliography; i.e., increase of the temperature level resulted in a decrease of particle concentration per unit volume (cm 3 ). On the other hand, increase of the relative humidity increased the particle concentration per cm 3 , while the interaction between temperature and relative humidity was also antagonistic; i.e., increase of temperature decreased accordingly the relative humidity, and vice versa. Similarly, the interaction between wind speed and relative humidity was also antagonistic and statistically significant. It is emphasized that the wind direction played an important role in determining the antagonistic or synergistic nature of the interactions between the meteorological factors, and especially, in controlling quantitatively the results (or outcomes), of the above interactions.