Geochemical Assessment of the Air Quality Index for Urban Areas (Case Study of Ben-ghazi, Al Byada, Zliten and Tripoli Cities).

Abstract

One of the biggest environmental issues in cities is air pollution. Over 80% of urban dwellers are thought to be exposed to air pollution levels above the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended limits. This work aims to compare the air quality index (AQI) with the WHO 2014 guideline during 2024 and to determine the sources of air pollution in the study areas, as well as to compare carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Libya with global emissions. The AirVisual Outdoor monitors were used in this work to measure AQI, PM2.5 PM10 and CO2, The finding revealed the AQI in Benghazi city during the February period was unhealthy for sensitive groups (level 3) and in April period was unhealthy (level 4), in Al Byada city was moderate throughout all periods (level 2), the air quality in  Zliten city from January to May period was unhealthy for sensitive groups (level 3) and in the air quality in Tripoli city during February period was unhealthy for sensitive groups (level 3).  Zliten city is considered the most polluted city due to the lack of infrastructure and afforestation in the city. Based on PM2.5/PM10 ratios, the natural source and coarse particles of pollution were more prevalent in the studied areas. The concentration of CO2 in Libya was approximately 441 ppm, while the global average reached about 444 ppm, indicating that the distribution of CO2 in the atmosphere is nearly uniform worldwide.