Observational study of ground-level ozone and climatic factors in Craiova, Romania, based on one-year high-resolution data

Air pollution is a multifaceted issue affecting people's health, environment, and biodiversity. Gaining comprehension of the interactions between natural and anthropocentric pollutant concentrations and local climate is challenging. This study aims to address the following two questions: (1) What is the influential mechanism of climatic and anthropogenic factors on the ground-level ozone (O₃) concentrations in an urban environment during different seasons? (2) Can the ozone weekend effect be observed in a medium-sized city like Craiova, and under which conditions? In order to answer these questions, ozone interactions with meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure, relative humidity) and pollutant concentrations (particulate matter, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide) is evaluated based on a one-year dataset given by a low-cost sensor and one-year dataset provided by the National Environment Agency. Using two statistical analysis programs, Python and SPSS, a good understanding of the correlations between these variables and ozone concentration is obtained. The SPSS analysis underscores the significant impact of three meteorological factors and nine other pollutants on the ozone level. A positive correlation is noticed in the summer when sunlight is intense and photochemical reactions are elevated. The relationship between temperature and ozone concentration is strong and positive, as confirmed by Spearman's rho correlation coefficient (r = 0.880). A significant negative correlation is found between relative humidity and ozone (r = -0.590). Moreover, the analysis shows that particulate matter concentrations exhibit a significant negative correlation with ozone (r ≈ -0.542), indicating that higher particulate matter concentrations reduce ozone levels. Volatile organic compounds show a significant negative correlation with ozone (r = -0.156). A negative relationship between ozone and carbon dioxide (r = -0.343), indicates that elevated carbon dioxide levels might also suppress ozone concentrations. A significant positive correlation between nitrogen dioxide and ozone (r = 0.060), highlights the role of nitrogen dioxide in the production of ozone through photochemical reactions. However, nitric oxide shows a negative correlation with ozone (r = -0.055) due to its role in ozone formation. Carbon monoxide has no statistically significant effect on ozone concentration. To observe the differences between weekdays and weekends, T-Test was used. Even though significant differences were observed in temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide levels between weekdays and weekends, the T-Test did not highlight a significant weekend ozone effect in a mid-sized city as Craiova. Using Python, the daily values were calculated and compared with the limit values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Environment Agency (EEA). The WHO O₃ recommended levels were exceeded for 13 times in one year. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of ozone pollution in a mid-sized city as Craiova, serving as a valuable reference for local decision-makers. It provides critical insights into the seasonal dynamics of ozone levels, emphasizing the significant role of temperature in ozone formation and the complex interactions between various pollutants and meteorological factors.