Impact of dust transport events on PM10 concentrations on the western coasts of Turkey: a case of April 2022

Abstract

Turkey is under the influence of long-range dust transport from the Sahara Desert in the spring and fall seasons. Studies in the literature reported that high levels of particulate matter (PM₁₀) concentrations were observed in Turkish cities due to dust events, which often occur in April. This study aims to reveal the impact of dust transport events on PM₁₀ concentrations on the western coast of Turkey (26–28 E, 37–41 N) during April 2022. Another purpose of this study is to suggest a proper location for the monitoring station to observe dust transport. Daily measurements of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard Terra and Aqua satellites were examined for dust transport from the Sahara Desert. Three dust events (AOD > 0.5) were detected on the 1^st, 5^th, and 22^nd days of April 2022 according to Terra MODIS data. The impact of these events on PM₁₀ concentrations was analyzed by using measurements of 47 ground air quality monitoring stations in Aydın, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, İzmir, Muğla, and Manisa. The correlations between AOD and PM₁₀ ranged from 0.13 to 0.81. High positive correlations were observed over the southern part of the study area (Muğla and Aydın provinces) which could be considered as a proper location for an air quality monitoring station to observe dust transport to Turkey.