The Impact of Meteorological Conditions and Agricultural Waste Burning on PM Levels: A Case Study of Avellino (Southern Italy)

Vincenzo Capozzi (), Letizia Raia, Viviana Cretella, Carmela De Vivo and Raffaele Cucciniello ()
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Vincenzo Capozzi: Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Centro Direzionale di Napoli—Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy
Letizia Raia: Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Viviana Cretella: Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Centro Direzionale di Napoli—Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy
Carmela De Vivo: Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Centro Direzionale di Napoli—Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy
Raffaele Cucciniello: Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: In this work, the effect of the meteorological conditions and the agricultural waste burning on PM air pollution levels has been investigated in the city of Avellino, located in the Sabato Valley (southern Italy). Avellino has been described among the most polluted towns in Italy in terms of particulate matter (PM) during the last 10 years. The main aim of this study was to analyze the air quality data collected in Avellino and its surroundings during September 2021. In this period, the air quality in the Sabato Valley has been adversely affected by agricultural practices, which represent a significant source of PM. The impact of agricultural waste burning on PM levels in Avellino has been determined through an integrated monitoring network, consisting of two fixed urban reference stations and by several low-cost sensors distributed in the Sabato Valley. In the considered period, the two reference stations recorded several exceedances of the daily average PM 10 legislative limit value (50 µg m −3 ) in addition to high concentrations of PM 2.5 . Moreover, we provide a detailed description of the event that took place on 25 September 2021, when the combined effect of massive agricultural practices and very stable atmospheric conditions produced a severe pollution episode. Results show PM exceedances in Avellino concurrent with high PM values in the areas bordering the city due to agricultural waste burning and adverse meteorological conditions, which inhibit PM dispersion in the atmosphere.

Keywords: PM; air quality; thermal inversion; Avellino; biomass burning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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