Assessment of the impact of ship emissions on the air quality in Naples

The paper report the results of a monitoring campaign of SO2, NO2 and Benzene carried out in the port of Naples and inside the nearby urban canopy from 20th January to 8th March 2016. The activity is a continuation of a previous monitoring campaign realized by the authors in 2012. About 40 passive samplers were placed and average concentration in the period for the three pollutants was evaluated. Concentration levels observed are lower than limit values established by European directives both for SO2 and NO2. Benzene in some place of measure exceeded the limit value (5 ?g/m3) that is fixed, however, as annual average. Results have been interpreted by an interpolation algorithm using the software SURFER® obtaining contour maps that show significant differences among the three pollutants. In fact, maximum levels of SO2 occur inside the harbour area, those of NO2 inside the urban area while Benzene maximum average concentrations in the period occur at the boundary between port and urban canopy. This result has been interpreted on the basis of the occurrences of wind direction and speed measured in the same observation period.