FOREST FIRES POLLUTION IMPACT ON THE SOLAR UV IRRADIANCE AT THE GROUND

摘要

Measurements of the solar ultraviolet radiation in the wavelength region 295-385 nm were carried out at the Athens basin in summer 2007 and 2008 to study the influence of the air pollution, aerosols and forest fires on the UV doses reaching the ground. For comparison reasons, a recently developed theoretical algorithm for the calculation of the UV irradiance at the Earth's surface was also employed. Two forest fires took place in the greater Athens area in the summer 2007 and a decrease in UV irradiation was observed for a few days after the date the fires had broken out. Additionally, this study showed that the increased presence of NO_2 in the lower troposphere of an urban area resulted in a decrease in the UV radiation on the ground while the attenuation of UV radiation increased as the aerosol optical thickness increased.