The reduction of the dust pollution in Szeged (S-Hungary) with land use optimalization based on GIS

Abstract

Szeged is one of the Hungarian towns having a relatively pure atmosphere as the SO₂, NO₂ and CO average loads fall significally behind the permitted limit value. The pollution of the precipitating and especially of the loose dust and its high amount (which is about the hygienic limit value of 12.5 g/m²/month) has been a constant source of danger for a long time. Only the smaller part of this pollution originates from communication, heating and building operations, its greater part has a natural origin coming from the surrounding sandy and sandy loess areas. Its noxious effect to health can be traced back to 1965.

In the course of our investigations the dust precipitation in the different parts of the town, the direction and velocity of wind per month, the ratio and the quality of vegetation cover in the surrounding agricultural areas, the mechanical composition of superficial layers of the soil, the rate of building-up of the town were stored in a geographical information system. Being aware of the different dust adsorption capacity of various plants and trees, investigations were carried out on land use optimalization and on the possible reduction of dust pollution of natural and artificial origin, the latter produced by industrial regions. By the suggested changes of the vegetation the dust loads could be dropped to 35–50% of the sanitary limit value.