Road traffic is the major source of air pollution

The way we live in today means that we ourselves are causing large amounts of emissions of substances that can harm our health. In Helsingborg, monitored air quality at regular measurements. The largest source of air pollution in urban areas is road traffic. But even the shipping and ferry traffic affects air in Helsingborg. But did you know that even small-scale wood burning, oil-fired boiler plants and emissions from households in general contributes to pollute our air?

It's not enough to just list the sources that emit the different subjects. The air is subject to different chemical reactions that give rise to new topics that we regard as air pollution. It is mainly ground-level ozone is formed by reactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight.

Another pollutant that can be formed by processes in the atmosphere are particles. These are formed by, for example, condensation of gases, photochemical conversion reaction or a mechanical process such as tire wear. Particles can also act as carriers of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and metals. Some particles also have a biological origin such as pollen, spores, bacteria, and more.
The air in Helsingborg

Air pollution spreads course, even across national borders. Examples of "imported" air pollutants that affect Helsingborg is sulfur dioxide (S02), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ozone (O3) which imports as a percentage is about 80, 50 and 90 of the locally measured concentration levels.

In Helsingborg, monitored air quality at regular measurements. The measurements cover the central parts, focusing on the busiest routes, Railway Street, Queen Street and Stenbockgata. In Helsingborg, two systems for monitoring air pollution. A system measuring gaseous pollutants and the second measuring particulate pollutants. Measurements are made continuously and covers urban and street environments in the center of Helsingborg, particularly the busy shipping routes, Railway Street, Queen Street and Central and South Stenbockgata.
Gas sensing by DOAS

DOAS (differential optical absorption spectroscopy) is a Swedish method used for atmospheric measurements in Helsingborg in 1988. The measuring instrument consists of a transmitter that emits light over a measured distance, and a receiver that collects light and focuses it into an optical fiber. Alternatively, the sender and recipient self-contained and the light reflected by a prism. Finally, the light to an analyzer that determines the concentration level of a number of different air pollutants as an average over the gauge length.

This is measured

    The pollutants measured in this set are:
    Nitrogen dioxide
    Nitrogen monoxide
    Sulphur dioxide
    Benzene
    Ozone

In connection with the monitoring stations are meteorological equipment to record temperature, wind speed, wind direction and more. The meteorological equipment is used to investigate the relationship between weather conditions and level of air pollution.
Measurements of particles

Particle meter PM measures the amount of airborne particles including tires, asphalt and soot from diesel engines, for example in the street, known as PM10. The meter is different, the portion of the particles in the air that is 10 microns (micrometers) in diameter and measure the weight of each.