Monitoring Studies of Urban Air Quality in Central-Southern Spain Using Different Techniques

In urban areas, emissions of air pollutants by anthropogenic processes such as traffic, industry, power plants and domestic heating systems are the main sources of pollution (Fenger, 1999). The massive growth in road traffic and in the use of fossil fuels during the last decades has changed the composition of urban air, increasing the frequency of pollution episodes and the number of cities experiencing them. The main pollutants monitored in the atmosphere in these areas are ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), aromatic compounds and particulate matter. While CO, NO and aromatic compounds are mainly emitted by traffic, O3 and NO2 are originated by photochemical reactions.