Pilsētas gaisa piesārņojuma ar smagajiem metāliem telpiskās izplatības riska novērtējums = The risk assessment of spatial spread of urban air pollution by heavy metals
Authors:   ,   Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Pilecka-Uļčugačeva Jovita 
Published: October 2024

More than half, or 56%, of the world's population lives in cities. It is projected that the proportion of the population living in cities will continue to increase. In Latvian cities, the proportion of inhabitants is approaching 70%. As the urban population grows, the question of air quality in urban environments becomes increasingly relevant, affecting everyone on a daily basis. Already, a large portion of the world's population lives in areas where air quality does not meet acceptable standards. Air pollution affects the quality of life for every urban resident, as it impacts nearly all demographic groups and is particularly dangerous for people with chronic illnesses. In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of research conducted on snow pollution loads in temperate climate zones. Various bioindicators are being studied in urban environments, providing precise results on urban air quality. Until now, various fragmented studies have been conducted worldwide, examining specific objects and specific types of pollution and the pollution in their vicinity, without conducting a comprehensive study of the city. The city is a complex and dynamic entity with pronounced changes over time and space, to conduct a thorough study, multiple methods of air pollution occurrence must be used, and the city must be viewed holistically as a dynamic object over time and space. The hypothesis proposed in the doctoral thesis is that by comprehensively assessing long-term and short-term air pollution, it is possible to evaluate the dynamics of urban air pollution over time and space. The objective of the doctoral thesis is to develop a methodology for assessing the spatial distribution risk of air pollution based on bioindication methods and heavy metal concentrations in snow. The theoretical section of the doctoral thesis examines the impact of heavy metals and particulate matter (PM) suspended in the air on human health, provides an overview of various methods for determining air pollution in urban environments, and examines the complex interaction of various methods. The study also examines the impact of major transport corridors on urban air quality. For the first time in Europe, continuous seven-year data on the accumulation of various heavy metals and other chemical elements in snow cover in urban areas have been obtained with high resolution of 1 km², covering the entire city's territory. A large portion of Latvia's population lives in cities, therefore, studies on air quality, including analysis of snow and street dust, are crucial to determine the origin, distribution, and level of heavy metals in urban areas, near streets, and roads. Studies on urban air quality are vital for the development of urban planning documents and the establishment of sustainable development strategies for cities. This doctoral thesis consists of thirteen thematically unified scientific publications.