Investigating Air Pollution during the Corona Era and before that in the Metropolises of Tehran, Isfahan and Qom

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Remote Sensing & GIS, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Economics, Management and Social sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Industrial activities and urban traffic contribute to increased air pollution in large cities, resulting in a rise in various diseases among the population. Consequently, studying and investigating polluted areas is crucial for effective city management. This study aims to examine the air pollution levels in Tehran, Isfahan, and Qom cities, focusing on NO2, CO2, CO, and CH4 pollutants, during two distinct periods: pre-COVID-19 (2018-2019) and during COVID-19 (2020-2021), across all four seasons. By employing the Pearson correlation method and RBF neural networks (radial basis function neural network), the relationship between temperature and pollutants was explored. The findings reveal higher levels of air pollution in Tehran and Isfahan compared to other regions. Moreover, the study demonstrates a significant reduction in pollution during the COVID-19 era compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Additionally, the regression analysis highlights a strong correlation between temperature increase and pollution levels (R2=0.981). Furthermore, the RBF method exhibits high accuracy in predicting air pollution levels (R2 = 0.85, RMSE = 0.08). In conclusion, this research underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to mitigate air pollution, particularly in highly polluted areas, and emphasizes the role of temperature as a crucial factor affecting pollution levels.

Keywords

References

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