Investigation of air pollution caused by thermal power plants using sentinel-5P satellite data

Developing industry, technology and urbanisation together with the rapidly increasing world population increases the energy needed. However, energy production, industrial development and population growth bring along a global problem such as air pollution. The primary environmental determinant of human health is air quality. According to the World Health Organisation, 92% of the world population lives in regions where air pollutant limit values are exceeded. Emissions and particulate matter affecting air quality such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and particulate matter enter the air from sources such as fossil fuel combustion, industrial processes and emissions from vehicles. When these emissions and substances enter the air, they can cause serious health problems such as respiratory diseases, cancer and heart problems. A significant portion of the energy needed in our country is provided by 53 coal-fired thermal power plants in operation. The total installed capacity of the 7 largest of these power plants (10.673 MW) corresponds to 52% of the installed capacity of 53 thermal power plants (20.443 MW). In this study, it is aimed to investigate the air pollution caused by these 7 thermal power plants that produce energy from fossil fuels. For this purpose, CO, NO2 and SO2 emission data from Sentinel-5p satellite were used to determine the environmental impacts of thermal power plants in terms of air quality. In addition, PM2.5 and PM10 pollutant emission values of Zonguldak/Çatalağzı-Kuzkaya, Kahramanmaraş/Elbistan, Çanakkale/Biga İçdaş, Hatay/İskenderun stations were also analysed through the National Air Quality Monitoring Network of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. In line with the results of this study, it was concluded that NO2 and CO concentrations are concentrated around the thermal power plants in other study regions except the study area centred on İsken Sugözü Thermal Power Plant, and SO2 emission is not significantly concentrated around the thermal power plants except Afşin-Elbistan A and B Thermal Power Plants. In the maps created with Corine 2018 Land Cover data, the distance of the thermal power plant to agricultural areas, settlements and forest areas and the areas they cover within the study areas are indicated and interpreted in hectares.