ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Spatial and Temporal Variation in Ozone
and Nitrogen Dioxide in the Seaside Recreation
Area Environment
Vaida Vasiliauskienė1, Vaida Šerevičienė2, Aušra Zigmontienė2
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1Department of Physics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University
2Department of Environmental Protection, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University,
Saulėtekio ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
Submission date: 2015-11-18
Final revision date: 2016-01-06
Acceptance date: 2016-01-06
Publication date: 2016-03-17
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2016;25(2):795-803
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ABSTRACT
Our experiment was conducted during the summer (seven days) in the seaside recreation area of Curonian
Spit, Lithuania, with a view to observe the dispersion of ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in
this territory. In addition, the meteorological parameters (ambient temperature, relative air humidity, wind
velocity, and direction) were recorded in order to assess the influence of these parameters on the changes
in pollutants in the Curonian Spit. During the experiment, the ozone concentration in the spit varied from 5
to 130 μg/m3, while the concentration of nitrogen dioxide varied from 1 to 34 μg/m3. It was found that the
meteorological parameters infl uenced the changes in the levels of ozone. The investigation data showed that
such meteorological parameters as temperature and relative humidity had the most important influence on
ozone concentration variations (r = 0.619 (p<0.05); r = 0.612 (p<0.05), respectively). The changes in the
level of nitrogen dioxide have been mostly influenced by traffi cintensity. O3 and NO2 were inversely related.
The ozone concentration in Juodkrantė and Preila was higher by 37% than that measured in Klaipėda, while
the nitrogen dioxide concentration was lower by 43%. The formation of ozone in the troposphere begins
with NO2 photolysis, after which the NO quickly reacts with ozone to regenerate the NO2.