AN EXPLORATION OF AIR QUALITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BELLUNO THROUGH THE PERCEPTION OF RESIDENTS AND THE MEASUREMENTS OF AIR MONITORING STATIONS

Abstract

Air pollution is a growing concern in today’s world, as we live in the Anthropocene era. This increase in pollution and rising temperatures is primarly caused by human activities and modern living. However, natural processes also play a role in Earth’s dynamics. While poor air quality is a global threat, thesis study concentrates on the mountainous province of Belluno in the Veneto region, in Northeastern Italy. This choice was motivated by the lack of prior investigations in the area and the availability of ample data from the Regional Agency for Enviornmental Protection and Prevention of Veneto (ARPAV). ARPAV data cover the emissions of pollutants in the air from 2008 to 2023, allowing for an analysis of how these emissions have evolved .The key pollutants monitored by ARPAV are SO2, CO2, NO, Nox, NO2, PM10 and PM2.5, but the thesis focuses only on NO, NO2,Nox, PM10 and O3. Monitoring stations in Feltre, Alpago and Belluno city center were used for data collection. The thesis also includes a survey carried out to collect the residents’ opinions regarding air qaulity in their respective areas. The thesis aims to compare the scientific data provided by ARPAV with people’s perceptions to determine whether there is a correlation.