URBAN AIR POLLUTION MONITORING BY USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY FROM SAKARYA, TURKEY - Carpathian Journal of Earth And Environmental Sciences

In many rapidly growing cities, due to increasing of fossil fuel using in transportation, industry and heating, air pollution reached to critical levels. In controlling this pollution, particulate matter materials (PM) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission group are underlined. In this study, the objective is to create a supportive model for decision makers by showing distribution of the two emission groups with respect to districts of Sakarya province by using geographical information system (GIS) and by preparing an emission inventory related to domestic heating SO₂ and PM emissions in Adapazarı and mapping through GIS. In the first stage of this three-stage research, the region with the highest amount of pollutant concentration throughout city of Sakarya has been detected. According to this stage results that Adapazarı is the most polluted area. In the second stage based on 11 quarters located in Adapazarı, the most polluted city, domestic heating emission inventories have been put forward. For the 11 surveyed quarters, SO₂ and PM values originating from natural gas and coal were calculated individually for preparing of emission inventory. As for Adapazarı, coal-origin SO₂ emission inventory value has been found as 154.030 kg/year, PM 269.906 kg/year. Employed emission calculation method, unlike several other studies in literature, was not merely based on the data of measurement stations but it also included gathering and calculating current data in the field through surveys. Emission inventory is created with face-to-face survey. In the third stage, concentration differences within quarters have been presented by using GIS techniques according to emission inventory results for not only Sakarya in general but also Adapazarı in particular. Finally to air quality control, some scientific and technical assistance have been given to administrators. Since employed data gathering and GIS techniques are applicable for different regions as well and the study following this method is a vanguard for city of Sakarya, this research is unique.