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Ambient Air Quality in a Low Density Territory of Continental Portugal
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  • Margarida Correia Marques,
  • Fátima Isabel Ferreira,
  • Margarida L. R. Liberato,
  • Fernando Glenadel Braga
Margarida Correia Marques
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB)

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Fátima Isabel Ferreira
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD)
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Margarida L. R. Liberato
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD). Instituto Dom Luiz
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Fernando Glenadel Braga
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Centro de Química-Vila Real (CQVR)
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Abstract

Ambient air quality (AQ) is an environmental and socio-economic issue increasingly decisive in the sustainable development of a territory. At low density territories of Continental Portugal, a good AQ can contribute to the development of various sectors of activity like health and wellness tourism and organic farming, affecting positively the socio-economic situation. The main goal of this study was to build information on ozone concentration in ambient air for the present and on a climate change scenario. The territory case study – the “cerne do Entre-Norte-e-Centro”–, consists of seven municipalities: Aguiar da Beira, Castro Daire, Moimenta da Beira, Sátão, Sernancelhe, Tarouca and Vila Nova de Paiva. Geographically it belongs to the North and Centre of Mainland Portugal (NUTS II) and the Douro and Dão-Lafões subregions (NUTS III). In this area (151.195 hectares) there is not any station of AQ monitoring. Data provided by the Portuguese Air Quality Network was analysed to determine the spatio-temporal evolution of different pollutants covered by actual Portuguese legislation, with special focus on ozone and nitrogen dioxide. This information was compared with the data provided by Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. It was build hazard and vulnerability charts as well as the chart of risk to the territory under study. This knowledge will improve the decision-making process in terms of public politics. In addition it contributes to an increased visibility and attractiveness of this area, as a tourism destination through environmental differentiation in this endogenous resource.