Monitoring Nitrogen Dioxide Content in the Atmosphere of Cities in Europe and Russia Using Satellite Data

Abstract

The paper analyzes the trends in the average monthly concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the period from 2005 to 2021 in 18 large cities in different geographical areas: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kyiv, Donetsk, Helsinki, Warsaw, Istanbul, Athens, Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, and Amsterdam. It was found that, in all cities, the concentration of this gas decreases, but at different rates. The highest rate of change was recorded in cities with the highest gas content at the time of the initial stage—2005. A linear dependence of the average nitrogen dioxide concentration on the population and anthropogenic emissions was revealed according to HTAPv3 data. Approximately every 1 million people of the population of large cities is responsible for the formation of a gas concentration of ∼200 × 10¹⁵ molecules/cm², regardless of the geographical location of the city. Every ∼10 000 t/month of nitrogen dioxide emissions based on HTAPv3 generate gas concentrations of ∼500 × 10¹⁵ molecules/cm². Using these dependences, it is possible to estimate anthropogenic emissions of NO₂ sources throughout the country, based on remote sensing data. The results of the study also indicate the possibility of verifying and correcting inventory databases of gas emissions based on satellite observations of the nitrogen dioxide content in the atmosphere.