Transboundary Air Pollution Transport of PM 10 and Benzo[ a ]pyrene in the Czech–Polish Border Region.

The article is occupied with the evaluation of the transboundary transport of pollutants in the Czech–Polish border region (between the Moravian-Silesian region and the Silesian Voivodeship) in Central Europe. It focuses on the evaluation of concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and suspended particles of PM₁₀ depending on meteorological conditions, especially wind direction. The whole area of interest is heavily affected with air pollution of BaP and PM₁₀. Limits of BaP and PM₁₀ are still exceeded. Annual concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene are even several times higher than the value of its annual limit. The elaboration follows the results of the Czech–Polish project "Air Silesia", which dealt with air pollution and the transboundary transport of pollutants in this area and took place in 2010 to 2013. Within this project, a higher transport of pollutants from Poland to the Czech Republic was established. The evaluation of the dependences of PM₁₀ concentrations is based on hourly and daily data of PM₁₀ and hourly data of meteorological quantities. To assess the dependences of daily BaP and PM₁₀ concentrations, a methodology for evaluating daily types of wind direction was implemented into the processing. The results confirm that the problem of above-limit concentrations of BaP and PM₁₀ in the Moravian-Silesian Region in the Czech Republic and the Silesian Voivodeship in Poland remains. The article confirms there is a higher transport of PM₁₀ concentrations from Poland to the Czech Republic in the area of interest. Higher transport in the same direction is also predicted for daily concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene, although this cannot be clearly confirmed due to the lack of more detailed and identifiable data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]