Abstract:
The aerosols and dust emission have impacted the Air Quality Index (AQI)
around the world. The AQI directly affected the health of people living especially in the
metropolitan cities of countries. The winter fog in collaboration with smoke developed
new phenomena named smog which is being observed over the last decades over Asia.
It has been observed that air quality of Lahore has become worse especially in winters
over the last decade when the air pollutants from different anthropogenic activities like
burning of coal, emission of air pollutants from vehicles and from many other sources
becomes suspended in the atmosphere, mixes with fog and reduces the visibility resulting
in to the smog and causes many harmful diseases to the human beings. Very limited
research has been carried out in the past to investigate smog phenomena over Lahore city
. This study investigated the temporal analysis of various air pollutants from the year
2012-2017, which air pollutant was more responsible in causing smog in the Lahore city,
peak period and onset of smog was also assessed, the relationship between
meteorological parameters and aerosols and their impacts on visibility was also explained
and survey based analysis on smog was also conducted to check the awareness and
problems people face during smog. Daily data of meteorological parameters like rainfall,
temperature and visibility from the year 2012-2017 was acquired from Pakistan
Meteorological Department (PMD) whereas the daily data as well as monthly data of air
pollutants (AOD, SO2, CO , PM2.5 and dust) was taken from GIOVANNI NASA during
2012-2017. The data was analyzed on the excel sheet and then the graphs were made
from that data. The results of the graphs indicated that among the air pollutants aerosols
are the most responsible one in causing smog over the Lahore city. The results further
depicted that smog onset from the mid of November and become highest in the month of
December over most of the study period. However, it varies from November to January
during the years 2016 and 2017. The results also revealed that meteorological parameters
and aerosols have a relation with each other.it is also responsible in decreasing visibility
over the Lahore city. The survey-based analysis on smog also supported our findings.
