Natural radioactivity as an easy and quick parameter for describing the dynamic of the Planetary Boundary Layer

Abstract

This work describes a methodological approach based on natural radioactivity measurements aimed at interpreting air pollution episodes in urban air. The use of such parameters helps in the understanding of the temporal behaviors of seasonal primary (benzene and carbon monoxide) and secondary (nitrogen dioxide and ozone) pollutants. A comparison between the daily concentrations of primary and secondary pollutants and the natural radioactivity trends, considered as an index of the dynamic of the low atmospheric boundary layers, evidences that acute episodes of air pollution in downtown Rome occur in wintertime due to high atmospheric stability (primary pollution) and in summertime because of the strong diurnal atmospheric mixing (secondary pollution).