Abstract
Tropospheric ozone pollution is a world-wide problem, based on studies reported from locations as diverse as India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany, Spain, Greece, Canada, and the United States. Ozone is a serious pollutant in the troposphere due to its adverse effects on the health of plants, and on the respiratory systems, eyes, and mucous membranes of humans. Due to the seriousness of the issue, the ozone problem in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area was investigated. A review of the literature revealed a research deficiency, since no environment-to-circulation analysis of the ozone problem in the Atlanta metropolitan area could be found. Therefore such a study was conducted, in order to determine how high ozone days in Atlanta were related to atmospheric patterns and meteorological variables. Statistical analysis of radiosonde data, and data from eleven air quality monitoring stations in metropolitan Atlanta, for the summer months of 2000-2003, revealed a relationship between high ozone days and both high- and low- pressure patterns, as well as between high ozone days and higher temperature and lower dew point temperature. The data revealed two groups of stations differentiated by geography, and also suggested transport of precursor chemicals as a factor at some stations. This research may assist policy-makers as well as policy-implementers in elucidating associations or mechanisms that can assist efforts to reduce tropospheric ozone concentrations in the Atlanta area.
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