Assessment of particulate pollution in a medium sized Greek city - the effect of biomass burning and COVID-19 lockdown

Airborne particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter of 10μm or less has severe negative effects on human health. In many European urban environments, small residential heating appliances contribute significantly to the degradation of air quality by generating a substantial quantity of PM. In the present work, trends of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 have been evaluated in a medium – sized European city, Ioannina, NW Greece. We analyze the most recent available surface concentration observations for the period 2014 – March 2021. The analysis showed that even if there is a strict legislation at EU and national level, PM emissions from residential combustion processes contribute significantly to air pollution during wintertime in Ioannina. Local topography, local-scale meteorological conditions and local sources impose a local plan of action to monitor air pollution. The analysis highlights the need for coordinated actions in local and national scale.