Extending the use of air quality indices to reflect effective population exposure

Abstract

Although there are tendencies to develop a single common index which would describe an overall air quality status within an area, constructed from a choice of measurements of individual pollutants, indices describing individual pollutants themselves have several potentials which can be used in ways which are not possible with pollutant concentrations. On the case of Belgrade, Serbia, we investigated possibilities of using such indices for comparisons between pollutants, characterization of monitoring sites, and extending their use to include elements of population exposure. A methodology of adjusting the results obtained at monitoring stations located in severe pollution conditions, like street canyons, is proposed and used.