INVESTIGATION OF SMOG EVENTS OVER LAHORE CITY FROM THE YEAR 2012-2017

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.