ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH, vol.11, no.12, pp.2297-2307, 2020 (SCI-Expanded)
Organic air pollutants have considerable influence particularly on atmospheric chemistry, compared to other air pollutants. Traffic is one of the major sources of air pollutants occurred in Canakkale atmosphere by both remarkable road and marine traffic loads around the harbors. The aims of this study were finding the daily, week/weekend, and spatial variations of VOC at multiple sampling points of Canakkale and Kilitbahir. In this study, active air samples were collected from the major roads of Kilitbahir and Canakkale Harbors during rush hours and off-peak in 2018 summer. According to the measurement results, average levels of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) were around 129 mu g/m(3) in Canakkale and 93 mu g/m(3) in Kilitbahir. Toluene was the most abundant compound. Average B: T: E: X ratio was calculated as 2.4:7.0:1:5.5 in Canakkale and 3.2:7.6:1:5.2 in Kilitbahir. According to the sampling points of both locations, levels of TVOC, benzene, toluene, and m,p-xylene in Canakkale and toluene levels in Kilitbahir showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Also, benzene, which was already classified as a human carcinogen, varied diurnally in Kilitbahir (p < 0.05). Toluene levels varied between week and weekend days (p < 0.05). Moreover, measured VOC levels were compared with air quality monitoring station (AQMS) data and meteorological parameters. TVOC levels showed positive correlations with SO2 and PM10 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a multivariate factor analysis applied to data set including VOC measurements, AQMS data, and meteorological parameters implied that traffic is the predominant factor influencing the air quality around the study sites.