ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Air Quality Management in Tehran Using
a Multi-Dimensional Decision
Support System
Mehran Ghodousi1, Farideh Atabi2, Jafar Nouri3, Alireza Gharagozlou4
More details
Hide details
1Department of Environmental Management, Graduate School of the Environment and Energy,
Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of the Environment and Energy,
Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4Geomatics College, NCC of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Submission date: 2016-05-07
Final revision date: 2016-09-06
Acceptance date: 2016-09-08
Online publication date: 2017-03-22
Publication date: 2017-03-22
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(2):593-603
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Management of air pollution in Tehran, Iran, has been a significant challenge for urban authorities in
recent years owing to the number and complexity of the factors affecting the formation and spread of the
pollutions. The present study used an integrated modeling approach involving Spatio, Temporal, Uncertainty
Decision Support Systems (STUDSS) using Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and an Artificial
Neural Network (ANN) for the virtual simulation and strategy assessment of air pollution. Since sources
of air pollution and associated pollution control strategies are dependent on location, time and uncertain
variables, Multi-Dimensional Decision Support System (MDDSS) can be efficient tool for urban air quality
decision-making process. In order to model and evaluate air pollution, time-series data over a period of
four years, screened and classified management strategies as well as other structural and environmental
data such as land uses, terrain topography, heights of buildings, climatic conditions, population density
and pollution sources were modeled using advanced software packages of MCDA and ANN. They were
ultimately simulated and evaluated using the MDDSS. The results obtained from the implementation of the
STUDSS showed that this tool could be used to provide sustainable solutions to air quality in metropolises
and could respond to social satisfaction and economic development.