Analysis of Air Monitoring System in Megacity on the Example of St. Petersburg

The paper considers the current problem of improving the quality of atmospheric monitoring. The paper aimed at conducting a monitoring section of the existing situation in the studied territories in St. Petersburg. The following study methods were described: gravimetric, electrochemical, and chromatographic. The analysis of samples was carried out on the following laboratory facilities of the mobile environmental laboratory: PU-3E aspirator, ECOLAB portable gas analyser, DUSTTRAK 8533 dust analyser, portable gas chromatograph FGKh-1, professional weather station. The study consisted of two parts and was carried out in two districts of the city: Novosmolenskaya Embankment of the Smolenka River (Vasileostrovsky District) and the banks of the Volkovka River (Frunzensky District). As a result of the study, the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, carbon oxide, suspended solids and volatile organic compounds in the air of the studied districts were measured. The obtained values were compared with the maximal single limiting concentration (LMCm.s.) and assumptions were made about the possible sources of pollution. In the territory of Novosmolenskaya Embankment, the concentration of nitrogen dioxide varied from 0.211 mg/m3 to 0.472 mg/m3, which means the exceedance of LMCm.s. The maximum permissible concentration of the volatile organic compounds (VOC) content in air was exceeded by several orders of magnitude. No exceedance of LMCm.s. was detected for the content of carbon oxide and suspended solids in the air. The empirical data was used to build the air pollution content maps and to calculate the atmospheric pollution index in the studied territory.