Ambient air quality for the territory of the Czech Republic in 1996–1999 expressed by three essential factors

A new method for spatial interpretation and visualisation of measured air quality data developed and introduced in 1998 is used for ambient air quality assessment in the Czech Republic. The data from a countrywide air quality monitoring network is collated into the least possible number of factors describing the overall air quality in 1996–1999. The factors identified as ‘ambient air pollution’, ‘ground-level ozone’ and ‘wet atmospheric deposition’ represent three different aspects of ambient air quality and their impact on receptors’ evaluation. The monitoring stations are classified for each factor using five categories clearly distinguishing the sites over the Czech Republic territory within the ‘best–worst’ scale range. The results are presented in maps with spot symbols produced in Arc/View system. The problem areas within the country are identified clearly for each factor. The air quality picture differs considerably for the respective factors within one calendar year. Categorisation of each factor for the entire period under review, however, remains strikingly similar, indicating that in spite of partial improvement and some decreases in air pollutant concentration, the problem areas have remained more or less the same for each factor. Comparison of all three factors shows that the southern part of the country is in a certain simplification very clean as to the ‘ambient air pollution’ and ‘wet atmospheric deposition’ factors, while it is impacted as to the ‘ground-level ozone’ factor. In contrast, the northern part of the country impacted as to the ‘ambient air pollution’ along with the ‘wet atmospheric deposition’ and ‘ground-level ozone’ factors at the higher elevations.