Abstract:
The paper studies the climatology of the Discomfort Index (DI) and the Common Air Quality Index (CAQI) in a large Mediterranean urban center (Greater Thessaloniki Area), examines the relations between the indices and the climatic conditions in the study area and investigates the linkage between the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and the enhanced discomfort and poor air quality in the city center. Discomfort conditions are more enhanced during July and August. Atmospheric conditions when the population suffers discomfort and feels severe stress are found mainly in the summer season hours with total frequency that can be up to about 4% in a month. Throughout the year, air quality conditions are unhealthier in the stations of urban characterization. Very high daily CAQI values are more frequent during the cold period (about 14%) than during the warm period (1-2%) of the year in the urban stations. Daily DI∈≥24°C could be more associated to increased temperature than relative humidity and is strongly related to high and very high CAQI values. During summer, when daily CAQI is ≥76, the feeling of discomfort is the most probable. Consequently, a strong synergy between discomfort and bad air quality exists in summertime. High and very high CAQI values and the discomfort feeling by the majority of the population are related to stagnant atmospheric conditions. During summer season, the poor air quality and the unfavorable comfort conditions for the majority of the population in the city center are associated with the greater frequency of a more intense UHI effect. The above phenomenon is more pronounced during nighttime than daytime. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Notes:
Cited By :15Export Date: 2 November 2015CODEN: WAPLACorrespondence Address: Poupkou, A.; Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; email:
poupkou@auth.grReferences: Amiridis, V., Balis, D.S., Kazadzis, S., Bais, A., Giannakaki, E., Papayannis, A., Zerefos, C., Four-year aerosol observations with a Raman lidar at Thessaloniki, Greece, in the framework of European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) (2005) Journal of Geophysical Research D: Atmospheres, 110 (21), pp. 1-12. , DOI 10.1029/2005JD006190, D21203;Angouridakis, V.E., Makrogiannis, T.J., The Discomfort Index in Thessaloniki, Greece (1982) International Journal of Biometeorology, 26, pp. 53-59. , 10.1007/BF02187617;
Balis, D.S., Amiridis, V., Zerefos, C., Gerasopoulos, E., Andreae, M., Zanis, P., Kazantzidis, A., Papayannis, A., Raman lidar and sunphotometric measurements of aerosol optical properties over Thessaloniki, Greece during a biomass burning episode (2003) Atmospheric Environment, 37 (32), pp. 4529-4538. , DOI 10.1016/S1352-2310(03)00581-8;
Becker, S., Potchter, O., Yaakov, Y., Calculated and observed human thermal sensation in an extremely hot and dry climate (2003) Energy and Buildings, 35, pp. 747-756. , 10.1016/S0378-7788(02)00228-1;
Conti, S., Meli, P., Minelli, G., Solimini, R., Toccaceli, V., Vichi, M., Beltrano, C., Perini, L., Epidemiologic study of mortality during the Summer 2003 heat wave in Italy (2005) Environmental Research, 98 (3), pp. 390-399. , DOI 10.1016/j.envres.2004.10.009, PII S0013935104002154;
Silva Vdpr, D., De Azevedo, P.V., Brito, R.S., Da Cunha Campos, J.H.B., Evaluating the urban climate of a typically tropical city of northeastern Brazil (2010) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 161, pp. 45-59. , 10.1007/s10661-008-0726-3 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXltlelsQ%3D%3D;
Emmanuel, R., Thermal comfort implications of urbanization in a warm-humid city: The Colombo Metropolitan Region (CMR), Sri Lanka (2005) Building and Environment, 40 (12), pp. 1591-1601. , DOI 10.1016/j.buildenv.2004.12.004, PII S0360132304003750;
(2009) Technical Assistance Document for the Reporting of Daily Air Quality-the Air Quality Index (AQI), , EPA EPA-454/B-09-001, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711;
Flocas, A.A., Angouridakis, V.E., Zambakas, J.D., Two bioclimatic indices calculated for Thermi Spa near Thessaloniki (1984) Geographia Medica, 14, pp. 168-181;
Fouillet, A., Rey, G., Laurent, F., Pavillon, G., Bellec, S., Guihenneuc-Jouyaux, C., Clavel, J., Hemon, D., Excess mortality related to the August 2003 heat wave in France (2006) International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 80 (1), pp. 16-24. , DOI 10.1007/s00420-006-0089-4;
Galan, I., Tobias, A., Banegas, J.R., Aranguez, E., Short-term effects of air pollution on daily asthma emergency room admissions (2003) European Respiratory Journal, 22 (5), pp. 802-808. , DOI 10.1183/09031936.03.00013003;
Ganev, K., Prodanova, M., Syrakov, D., Miloshev, N., Air pollution transport in the Balkan region and country-to-country pollution exchange between Romania, Bulgaria and Greece (2008) Ecological Modelling, 217, pp. 255-269. , 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2008.06.029 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtVOhsrjF;
Giannaros, T.M., Melas, D., Kontogianni, P., An observational study of the urban heat island in the Greater Thessaloniki area: Preliminary results and development of a forecasting service (2010) AIP Conference Proceedings, 1203, pp. 991-996. , 10.1063/1.3322597;
Giles, B.D., Balafoutis, Ch., Maheras, P., Too hot for comfort: The heatwaves in Greece in 1987 and 1988 (1990) International Journal of Biometeorology, 34 (2), pp. 98-104;
Grigoropoulos, K.N., Nastos, P.T., Ferentinos, G., Gialouris, A., Vassiliou, T., Mavroidakos, J., Avgeri, D., Saratsiotis, D., Spatial distribution of PM1 and sinus arrhythmias in Athens, Greece (2008) Fresenius' Environmental Bulletin, 17, pp. 1426-1431. , 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtlOqtr3I;
Hoppe, P., The physiological equivalent temperature - A universal index for the biometeorological assessment of the thermal environment (1999) International Journal of Biometeorology, 43 (2), pp. 71-75;
Kassomenos, P.A., Flocas, H.A., Lykoudis, S., Skouloudis, A., Spatial and temporal characteristics of the relationship between air quality status and mesoscale circulation over an urban Mediterranean basin (1998) Science of the Total Environment, 217 (1-2), pp. 37-57. , DOI 10.1016/S0048-9697(98)00167-3, PII S0048969798001673;
Kassomenos, P., Skouloudis, A.N., Lykoudis, S., Flocas, H.A., 'Air-quality indicators' for uniform indexing of atmospheric pollution over large metropolitan areas (1999) Atmospheric Environment, 33 (12), pp. 1861-1879. , DOI 10.1016/S1352-2310(98)00355-0, PII S1352231098003550;
Kassomenos, P., Kelessis, A., Petrakis, M., Zoumakis, N., Christidis, Th., Characterising the quality of the atmosphere over an urban complex (2009) Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, Chania, Crete, Greece, pp. 424-431;
Katragkou, E., Kazadzis, S., Amiridis, V., Papaioannou, V., Karathanasis, S., Melas, D., PM10 regional transport pathways in Thessaloniki, Greece (2009) Atmospheric Environment, 43, pp. 1079-1085. , 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.11.021 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXps1agug%3D%3D;
Katsoulis, B.D., Kassomenos, P.A., Assessment of the air-quality over urban areas by means of biometeorological indices. The case of Athens, Greece (2004) Environmental Technology, 25 (11), pp. 1293-1304;
Kolokotsa, D., Psomas, A., Karapidakis, E., Urban heat island in southern Europe: The case study of Hania, Crete (2009) Solar Energy, 83, pp. 1871-1883. , 10.1016/j.solener.2009.06.018;
Koukouli, M.E., Balis, D.S., Amiridis, V., Kazadzis, S., Bais, A., Nickovic, S., Torres, O., Aerosol variability over Thessaloniki using ground based remote sensing observations and the TOMS aerosol index (2006) Atmospheric Environment, 40 (28), pp. 5367-5378. , DOI 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.04.046, PII S1352231006004341;
Kyrkilis, G., Chaloulakou, A., Kassomenos, P.A., Development of an aggregate Air Quality Index for an urban Mediterranean agglomeration: Relation to potential health effects (2007) Environment International, 33 (5), pp. 670-676. , DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2007.01.010, PII S0160412007000153;
Larissi, I.K., Antoniou, A., Nastos, P.T., Paliatsos, A.G., The role of wind in the configuration of the ambient air quality in Athens, Greece (2010) Fresenius' Environmental Bulletin, 19, pp. 1989-1996. , 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhsFSntbbF;
Markakis, K., Poupkou, A., Melas, D., Tzoumaka, P., Petrakakis, M., A computational approach based on GIS technology for the development of an anthropogenic emission inventory of gaseous pollutants in Greece (2010) Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 207, pp. 157-180. , 10.1007/s11270-009-0126-5 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhvFKhsbw%3D;
Markakis, K., Poupkou, A., Melas, D., Zerefos, C., A GIS based anthropogenic PM10 emission inventory for Greece (2010) Atmospheric Pollution Research, 1, pp. 71-81. , 10.5094/APR.2010.010 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXlsVyntbo%3D;
Matzarakis, A., Rutz, F., Mayer, H., Estimation and calculation of the mean radiant temperature within urban structures (2000) Biometeorology and Urban Climatology at the Turn of the Millennium. Selected Papers from the Conference ICB-ICUC'99, Sydney, WCASP-50, WMO/TD No. 1026, pp. 273-278. , R. J. de Dear, J. D. Kalma, T. R. Oke and A. Auliciems (Eds.);
McGregor, G.R., Markou, M.T., Bartzokas, A., Katsoulis, B.D., An evaluation of the nature and timing of summer human thermal discomfort in Athens, Greece (2002) Climate Research, 20 (1), pp. 83-94;
Melas, D., Zerefos, C., Rapsomanikis, S., Tsangas, N., Alexandropoulou, A., The war in Kosovo: Evidence of pollution transport in the Balkans during operation 'Allied Force' (2000) Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 7 (2), pp. 97-104;
Moussiopoulos, N., Vlachokostas, Ch., Tsilingiridis, G., Douros, I., Hourdakis, E., Naneris, C., Sidiropoulos, C., Air quality status in Greater Thessaloniki Area and the emission reductions needed for attaining the EU air quality legislation (2009) The Science of the Total Environment, 407, pp. 1268-1285. , 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.10.034 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhsVOmsr3I;
Moustris, K.P., Ziomas, I.C., Paliatsos, A.G., 24 Hours in advance forecasting of thermal comfort-discomfort levels during the hot period of the year at representative locations of Athens city, Greece (2009) Fresenius' Environmental Bulletin, 18, pp. 601-608. , 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXnsVSlsbc%3D;
Moustris, K.P., Tsiros, I.X., Ziomas, I.C., Paliatsos, A.G., Artificial neural network models as a useful tool to forecast human thermal comfort using microclimatic and bioclimatic data in the great Athens area (Greece) (2010) Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering, 45, pp. 447-453. , 10.1080/10934520903540554 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXktFOjsrY%3D;
Moustris, K.P., Ziomas, I.C., Paliatsos, A.G., 3-Day-ahead forecasting of regional pollution index for the pollutants NO2, CO, SO2, and O3 using artificial neural networks in Athens, Greece (2010) Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 209, pp. 29-43. , 10.1007/s11270-009-0179-5 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXlslylu7w%3D;
Murena, F., Measuring air quality over large urban areas: Development and application of an air pollution index at the urban area of Naples (2004) Atmospheric Environment, 38 (36), pp. 6195-6202. , DOI 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.07.023, PII S1352231004007101;
Nastos, P.T., Matzarakis, A., Weather impacts on respiratory infections in Athens, Greece (2006) International Journal of Biometeorology, 50 (6), pp. 358-369. , DOI 10.1007/s00484-006-0031-1;
Nastos Th., P., Weather, ambient air pollution and bronchial asthma in Athens, Greece (2008) Seasonal Forecasts, Climatic Change and Human Health, pp. 173-188. , M. C. Thomson et al. (eds.) New York: Springer Science;
Nastos, P.T., Paliatsos, A.G., Tritakis, V.P., Bergiannaki, A., Environmental discomfort and geomagnetic field influence on psychological mood in Athens, Greece (2006) Indoor and Built Environment, 15 (4), pp. 365-372. , DOI 10.1177/1420326X06067372;
Nastos, P.T., Paliatsos, A.G., Papadopoulos, M., Bakoula, C., Priftis, K.N., The effect of weather variability on pediatric asthma admissions in Athens, Greece (2008) Journal of Asthma, 45 (1), pp. 59-65. , DOI 10.1080/02770900701815818, PII 790483080;
Nastos, P., Paliatsos, A., Anthracopoulos, M., Roma, E., Priftis, K., Outdoor particulate matter and childhood asthma admissions in Athens, Greece: A time-series study (2010) Environmental Health 2010, 9, p. 45. , 10.1186/1476-069X-9-45 10.1186/1476-069X-9-45;
Nikolopoulou, M., Lykoudis, S., Thermal comfort in outdoor urban spaces: Analysis across different European countries (2006) Building and Environment, 41 (11), pp. 1455-1470. , DOI 10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.05.031, PII S0360132305002039;
Ostro, B., The impact of particulate matter on daily mortality in Bangkok, Thailand (1999) Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 49, pp. 100-107. , 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3cvltVSjsQ%3D%3D;
Paliatsos, A.G., Pth, N., Relation between air pollution episodes and discomfort index in the greater Athens area, Greece (1999) Global Nest: The International Journal, 1, pp. 91-97;
Paliatsos, A.G., Kaldellis, J.K., Nastos, P.T., Application of an ambient index for air quality management in greater Athens area, Greece (2007) Proceedings of the SECOTOX Conference and the International Conference on Environmental Management, Engineering, Planning and Economics (CEMEPE), Skiathos Island, Greece, pp. 2459-2464;
Panagiotakos, D.B., Chrysohoou, C., Pitsavos, C., Nastos, P., Anadiotis, A., Tentolouris, C., Stefanadis, C., Paliatsos, A., Climatological variations in daily hospital admissions for acute coronary syndromes (2004) International Journal of Cardiology, 94 (2-3), pp. 229-233. , DOI 10.1016/j.ijcard.2003.04.050, PII S0167527303004108;
Pantavou, K., Theoharatos, G., Nikolopoulos, G., Katavoutas, G., Asimakopoulos, D., Evaluation of thermal discomfort in Athens territory and its effect on the daily number of recorded patients at hospitals' emergency rooms (2008) International Journal of Biometeorology, 52, pp. 773-778. , 10.1007/s00484-008-0170-7;
Pantavou, K., Theoharatos, G., Mavrakis, A., Santamouris, M., Evaluating thermal comfort conditions and health responses during an extremely hot summer in Athens (2011) Building and Environment, 46, pp. 339-344. , 10.1016/j.buildenv.2010.07.026;
Papanastasiou, D.K., Melas, D., Bartzanas, T., Kittas, C., Temperature, comfort and pollution levels during heat waves and the role of sea breeze (2010) International Journal of Biometeorology, 54, pp. 307-317. , 10.1007/s00484-009-0281-9;
Papanastasiou, D.K., Poupkou, A., Katragkou, E., Amiridis, V., Melas, D., Mihalopoulos, N., Basart, S., Baldasano, J.M., An assessment of the efficiency of dust regional modelling to predict Saharan dust transport episodes (2010) Advances in Meteorology, 2010 (154-368), p. 9. , 10.1155/2010/154368;
Papayannis, A., Balis, D., Amiridis, V., Chourdakis, G., Tsaknakis, G., Zerefos, C., Castanho, A.D.A., Grabowski, J., Measurements of Saharan dust aerosols over the eastern Mediterranean using elastic backscatter-Raman lidar, spectrophotometric and satellite observations in the frame of the EARLINET project (2005) Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 5 (8), pp. 2065-2079;
Poupkou, A., Melas, D., Ziomas, I., Symeonidis, P., Lisaridis, I., Gerasopoulos, E., Zerefos, C., Simulated summertime regional ground-level ozone concentrations over Greece (2009) Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 196, pp. 169-181. , 10.1007/s11270-008-9766-0 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXksl2ksg%3D%3D;
Sichletidis, L., Tsiotsios, I., Gavriilidis, A., Chloros, D., Kottakis, I., Daskalopoulou, E., Konstantinidis, T., Prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rhinitis in northern Greece (2005) Respiration, 72 (3), pp. 270-277. , DOI 10.1159/000085368;
Stathopoulou, M.I., Cartalis, C., Keramitsoglou, I., Santamouris, M., Thermal remote sensing of Thom's Discomfort Index (DI): Comparison with in situ measurements (2005) Proceedings of SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering 5983, , art. no. 59830 K;
Syrakov, D., Prodanova, M., Ganev, K., Zerefos, C., Vasaras, A., Exchange of sulfur pollution between Bulgaria and Greece (2002) Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 9, pp. 321-326. , 10.1007/BF02987575 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XotFeisbs%3D;
Theoharatos, G., Pantavou, K., Mavrakis, A., Spanou, A., Katavoutas, G., Efstathiou, P., Mpekas, P., Asimakopoulos, D., Heat waves observed in 2007 in Athens, Greece: Synoptic conditions, bioclimatological assessment, air quality levels and health effects (2010) Environmental Research, 110, pp. 152-161. , 10.1016/j.envres.2009.12.002 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhtlCnsbY%3D;
Triantafyllou, A.G., Paliatsos, A.G., Voutsinas, M., Zuburtikudis, I., Air quality assessment in an industrial area by using environmental indicators (2002) Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 11 (B10), pp. 933-939;
Tselepidaki, I., Santamouris, M., Moustris, C., Poulopoulou, G., Analysis of the summer discomfort index in Athens, Greece, for cooling purposes (1992) Energy and Buildings, 18, pp. 51-56. , 10.1016/0378-7788(92)90051-H;
Tselepidaki, I.G., Asimakopoulos, D.N., Katsouyanni, K., Moustris, C., Touloumi, G., Pantazopoulou, A., The use of a complex thermohygrometric index in predicting adverse health effects in Athens (1995) International Journal of Biometeorology, 38, pp. 194-198. , 10.1007/BF01245388 1:STN:280:DyaK2MzisFShsw%3D%3D;
Tseliou, A., Tsiros, I.X., Lykoudis, S., Nikolopoulou, M., An evaluation of three biometeorological indices for human thermal comfort in urban outdoor areas under real climatic conditions (2010) Building and Environment, 45, pp. 1346-1352. , 10.1016/j.buildenv.2009.11.009;
Van Den Elshout, S., Léger, K., (2007) Comparing Urban Air Quality Across Borders: A Review of Existing Air Quality Indices and the Proposal of A Common Alternative, ,
http://www.airqualitynow.eu/download/CITEAIR- Comparing_Urban_Air_Quality_across_Borders.pdf, Report final version, June 2007, DCMR, Environmental Protection Agency Rijnmond, The Netherlands. Available from;
Zauli Sajani, S., Tibaldi, S., Scotto, F., Lauriola, P., Bioclimatic characterisation of an urban area: A case study in Bologna (Italy) (2008) International Journal of Biometeorology, 52, pp. 779-785. , 10.1007/s00484-008-0171-6;
Zerefos, C., Ganev, K., Kourtidis, K., Tzortziou, M., Vasaras, A., Syrakov, E., On the origin of SO2 above Northern Greece (2000) Geophysical Research Letters, 27, pp. 365-368. , 10.1029/1999GL010799 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXhtV2lu78%3D
Website
