DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15699806
title: AQCLIM_GRINS Dataset - The Italian Daily Dataset on Air Quality
title: AQCLIM_GRINS Dataset - Il Dataset Italiano sulla Qualità dell'Aria

description: The GRINS AQCLIM dataset contains measurements of air pollutant concentrations, recorded by the Italian ground-based monitoring network, along with related climate variables. This dataset provides daily summary statistics for numerous air pollutants, logged at 745 locations over an eleven-year period, from 2013 to 2023. The pollutants considered include: nitrogen monoxide and dioxide (NO and NO2), particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), ozone (O3), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Further details are available on the dedicated GitHub page: https://github.com/GRINS-Spoke0-WP2/AQ-EEA.



The dataset comprises 64 columns organized into two primary categories: Air Quality (AQ) and Climate (CL_). This division is reflected in the column naming convention, where each column name includes a corresponding prefix (e.g., "AQ_" or "CL_").

The dataset features several key columns providing foundational information:





"AirQualityStation": Identifies the specific monitoring station.




"time": Represents the recording day.




"Longitude" and "Latitude": Provide the geographical coordinates of the station, using the WGS-84 reference system.




"Altitude": Indicates the station's altitude.




"AirQualityStationType": Describes the predominant type of emission sources in the station's vicinity.




"AirQualityStationArea": Specifies the type of area surrounding the station.



For the Air Quality (AQ) dimension, there are 48 columns formed by combining the "AQ_" prefix with various summary statistics (minimum, first quartile, mean, median, third quartile, and maximum, denoted as "min", "q1", "mean", "med", "q3", "max") for each considered pollutant. As an illustration, the column name "AQ_q1_NO2" signifies the first quartile of the daily nitrogen dioxide distribution recorded by that particular station.

Regarding the Climate (CL) dimension, the variables included are detailed in Table 2. Comprehensive information about these climate variables is accessible on the Copernicus Climate Data Store website: https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/datasets/reanalysis-era5-single-levels?tab=overview.



The dataset in available in rda and CSV format. To facilitate optimal management and accommodate the considerable overall data volume, the dataset in CSV format has been segmented into biennial periods. The specific naming convention for each file precisely indicates its temporal coverage, thereby streamlining both organization and access to the periods of interest.

 


Table 1: Air Quality variables present in the GRINS AQCLIM Dataset along with summary statistics. Unit of measure: micrograms by meter cube.





Air pollutant
# stations
Min.
Mean
Max.
NA's (%)


CO
268
0
0.5
58.2
34


NH3
1
0
5.71
17.26
57


NO2
710
0
21.71
362.21
27


NO
336
0
11.44
583.46
65


O3
402
0
56.45
756.33
29


PM10
648
0
24.08
2,575
30


PM2.5
351
0
15.51
907
35


SO2
274
0
3.11
868.42
36




 

Table 2: Climate variables in the GRINS AQCLIM Dataset




Variable Name
Description
Unit


CL_blh
Daily mean of the height of the atmosphere boundary layer
m


CL_lai_hv
Daily fixed value of high vegetation leaf area index
m2/m2


CL_lai_lv
Daily fixed value of low vegetation leaf area index
m2/m2


CL_rh
Daily mean of relative humidity
%


CL_ssr
Daily maximum of surface solar radiation
J/m2


CL_t2m
Daily mean of temperature at 2 meters
∘C


CL_tp
Daily cumulative total precipitation
m


CL_winddir
Daily mode of wind direction (1=N, 2=E, 3=S, 4=W)
-


CL_windspeed
Daily mean of wind speed
m/s