Investigation of the variation of black carbon and ultrafine particles which play role in climate change in the atmosphere of Istanbul

Climate change and air pollution issues have been intensively researched for many years and due to their interactions, some pollutants have been emphasized in recent years. Black Carbon (BC) and Ultrafine Particles (UFP) are considered to be significant pollutants with respect to human health and short-term climate impacts. This thesis has been monitored BC And UFP in three different areas (urban background, urban and traffic stations) for the first time in Istanbul, Türkiye. The highest average BC (6,0 ± 0,5 µg/m³) and UFP (17580 ± 3584 #/cm³) concentrations were observed in the traffic station. According to the concentrations in urban background, BC values were determined to be 2,5 and 1,8 times higher in traffic and urban stations and UFP values were determined to be 3,9 and 2,5 times higher, respectively. Traffic is the most effective source of BC and especially nano-sized particulate matter pollution in Istanbul's atmosphere. UFPs have a ratio of more than 80% in total atmospheric partic numbers. The total contribution of secondary particulate matter was calculated as 64% in the urban background, 66% in the urban area and 58% in the traffic stations. The secondary particulate matter, which is mostly formed by atmospheric reactions in the presence of sunlight, constitutes a significant part of the UFP concentration. Long-term and spatial monitoring of UFP and BC in urban areas is needed to understand their spatial and temporal distributions and to develop relevant mitigation policies.