Air quality assessment at Al-Taneem area in the Holy Makkah City, Saudi Arabia

Air quality assessment of the emission from power plant and traffic at Al-Taneem area located at the northern part of the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is investigated. Concentration levels of different pollutants including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O-3), methane (CH4) and total hydrocarbons (THC) as well as some meteorological parameters (temperature, wind speed and wind direction) during the period from November 2002 to October 2003 were measured and analyzed. The results indicated that nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide concentrations increase at the starting hours of the day. Sulphur dioxide concentrations were relatively low and constant. Ozone concentration trend showed the changes of the rate of the photochemical reactions. The distribution of the measured concentrations may be used for the development of numerical models and the estimation of air quality parameters in urban environment.