Özet:

In this study, changes, trends and episodes of long-term air pollutants under local meteorological conditions were examined at Balikesir’s downtown in South Marmara region.  In the last five years period, hourly measured PM10 and SO2 levels and hourly temperature (t), wind speed (ws), humidity (rh) and pressure (p) data were analyzed. Considering the long-term averages, the mean value of PM10 concentrations measured in the downtown was 47.33 µg/m3 and the mean of the SO2 concentrations was 7.75 µg/m3. According to the results of Pearson and Kendall Tau’s correlation analysis, wind speed (ws) and temperature (t) parameters were found to be inversely effective in the changes of PM10 levels, while the most effective parameter was the inverse temperature (t) parameter in the changes of SO2 levels. A regression model was used to estimate air pollutants based on the changes of the overall meteorological parameters. If all meteorological parameters are included in the model, only 16% of the PM10 levels can just be explained, and the SO2 level estimates can only be explained by 24%. According to Theil-Sen trend analysis, PM10 and SO2 levels were in an increasing trend. According to pollution calendars, the episode days for PM10 and SO2 levels were determined for the study. As a result of investigating the unusual conditions of the episode day, it was concluded that desert dusts coming from the continental dust transport from North Africa were effective on the day of the episode where the highest PM10 concentration was measured in the downtown area. For SO2 episode day, it was determined that the releases from the coal-powered energy plants in the south-eastern region near Bulgaria's border with our country might be effective in the transport of regional SO2 pollutants.In addition, it was thought that the formation of temperature inversions seen in Balıkesir’s downtown especially in the months of December could be effective for the highest SO2 levels.