Variations in gaseous pollutants in the air basin of Moscow

Variations in the concentrations of gaseous pollutants in the air basin of Moscow are statistically analyzed. The basic statistical characteristics of variations in the concentrations of carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, formaldehyde, and a number of aromatic compounds are calculated. The main properties of intradiurnal, synoptic, seasonal, and interannual variations in the concentrations of gaseous pollutants are described. The power spectral densities of variations in the concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are analyzed. The contributions made by variations in the concentration of carbon monoxide on different time scales to the total variance are calculated. The effect of the atmospheric air polluted with carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides on the ecological situation in the city is estimated. The probabilities of an excess over the single maximum allowable concentrations are determined for carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. The absorption of shortwave solar radiation by nitrogen dioxide in the atmospheric boundary layer is estimated.