Air quality monitoring in Mega city

Particulate matter (PM) including PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 is sampled widely in many areas of the world because high concentrations can degrade air quality. Our group monitors PM_2.5 in Osaka, which is the second largest metropolitan area in Japan. Industrial plants and highways are located near our observation site. A clear atmosphere is rare in this area, and the air is usually polluted with suspended particles emitted from vehicles and industries. We have various ground measurement devices on the campus of Kinki University in Osaka. These devices include the AERONET (aerosol robotics network) radiometer, a PM sampler, and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) equipment. In this work, we investigate the seasonal variation of air quality in Osaka using observation data.