ABSTRACT
The design of an air quality monitoring network (AQMN) is the mandatory step to manage air pollution in megacities. Several studies are being done on the location selection of AQMNs based on topography, meteorology, and pollution density. Still, the critical research gap that needs to be addressed is the role of pollutants' importance and prioritization in AQMN. This study aims to utilize the sphere of influence (SOI) method to design an AQMN in a megacity based on particulate matter (PM) as the most serious urban pollutant. Model evaluation was done by employing annual emission inventory data of PM in Tabriz, an industrial and crowded megacity with high exposure to salt particulates, considering 3549 square blocks with a size of 500 m * 500 m. Then, the SOI methodology utilizing the utility function (UF) approach is applied using MATLAB software calculations to determine optimal air quality monitoring network configurations. A range of numbers of utility functions was yielded for every spot on the map. It resulted in grid city maps with final spots for PM10, PM2.5, and intersecting spots. As a result, ten sites are selected as the best possible locations for the AQMN of a 2 million population city. These results could play a precise and significant role in urban air quality decision-making and management.
