One of people’s greatest concerns about air quality degradation is its impact on human health. This work is a case study that aims to investigate the air quality and the related impact on people’s health in a coastal city over the eastern Mediterranean. The analysis proceeded during a low-tourist density period, covering the days from 17 to 27 November 2022. Hourly ${\mathrm{PM}}_{2.5}$, ${\mathrm{NO}}_2$ and ${\mathrm{O}}_3$ concentration records from three, mobile, Air Quality Monitoring Systems (AQMS), established in an urban location, port and central area of Rhodes city, are analyzed. To investigate the impact of pollution levels on human health, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is calculated. The daily and diurnal variation of pollutants’ concentration and AQHI among the different areas, as well as the relation among the ambient air pollutants and AQHI, are studied. Additionally, to investigate the impact of wind regime on the variation of pollution and AQHI levels, the hourly zonal and meridional wind-speed components, as well as the temperature at 2 m, the dew point temperature at 2 m, and the height of the boundary layer from ERA5 reanalysis, are retrieved for the region of the southeastern Mediterranean. Results show that the highest pollution level occurs in the city center of Rhodes, compared to the rest of the studied locations. In general, the findings do not show exceedances of the pollutants’ concentration according to the European Directive 2008/50/EC. Moreover, findings show that in some cases, the health risk is classified from Low to Moderate in terms of AQHI. The analysis indicates that the climate conditions affect the pollutants’ concentration due to dispersion, and likely, the atmospheric transport of pollutants. Finally, this work aims to improve the knowledge regarding the air quality of southeastern Greece, promoting the framework for the green and sustainable development of the South Aegean Sea.

Emissions from port operation and shipping have a significant impact on climate risk, affecting the environment and human health in coastal regions (UNEP). The port of Heraklion, located on the island of Crete over the eastern Mediterranean, plays a key role in the sustainability of Southeast Europe. The impact on its operation affects the socio-economic life and development of the region because Heraklion is not just a tourist destination but also a significant trade and transportation center for the eastern Mediterranean. This study investigates the impact of port operation on the air quality of Heraklion between two representative periods. The first, which is considered as the high port activity season, was from 02 August 2018 to 08 August 2018, while the second period was between 11 May 2018 and 16 May 2018. For the air quality measurements, a low-cost sensor was used, while the recordings were initially compared and finally evaluated based on the available data of the monitoring station of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. To investigate the air quality differences between the two studied periods, the correlation analysis, the hourly evolution of pollutants, and the mean differences between high and low periods for gaseous pollutants and particulate matter are studied. Moreover, the effect of meteorology on air quality is investigated. The results indicate that the high season is characterized by significantly higher concentrations of pollutants compared to the other period. In both seasons studied, the air pollution level increases during hours of high port-activity, indicating the impact of port activity on air quality in Heraklion. The analysis shows that meteorology affects the air quality. In particular, strong wind speeds are associated with lower concentrations of gaseous pollutants other than ozone, which is affected by atmospheric circulation. Finally, the analysis emphasizes the importance of further investigation of the impact of port operations on coastal air quality in the context of sustainable development.

Climate and weather conditions have a profound influence on humans’ sense of comfort and discomfort. In addition, the impact of emissions and human activities on air quality seems to be scientifically indisputable. The maintenance of low levels of environmental nuisance in areas of high environmental and cultural interest, such as some Greek islands, is becoming increasingly important. Thus, exploring the combination of the effect of air quality and climate comfort in a high-traffic area falls within the scope of the principles and practices of sustainable development in such areas. The current study aims to shed some light on this field, for the case of Rhodes city, which is located in the eastern Mediterranean, during the summer of 2021. For the analysis, measurements of the concentration of pollutants ($P{M}_{2.5}$, $N{O}_{{\rm X}}$ and $O_3$) and meteorological recordings (wind speed, wind direction and temperature) from a mobile air quality system located in the center of Rhodes city were conducted. Furthermore, meteorological data from the ERA5 reanalysis (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, cloud cover and height of boundary layer) over a geographical domain around Rhodes Island were included in the study. Results show that climate conditions and emissions are closely linked to traffic and tourism activities, which in turn affect the variability of pollutant concentrations. The calculation of the discomfort index shows that during periods of higher levels of air pollution, the population of Rhodes city feels partially comfortable, while the holiday climate index values show that the climatic conditions are suitable for tourist activities. In conclusion, this study could enhance our understanding of climate comfort and air quality by providing some evidence of the benefits of implementing a sustainable development policy in such tourist areas.

The increased concentration of pollutants is a challenge to the health of the population. This work aims to investigate the health risk that is related to the pollutants’ level in the center of Rhodes city. Rhodes Island is a desirable tourist destination with important economic activity over the southeastern Aegean Sea. This analysis covers the (summer) July–August months and the (winter) December month of 2022. Hourly recordings of the concentrations of PM_2.5, NO₂ and O₃ from a mobile air quality monitoring system (AQMS) are analyzed. In order to investigate the effects of pollution level on people’s health, the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is calculated. Results show that summer shows an increased health danger compared to winter period, possibly due to increased traffic emissions, tourist density and the different meteorological conditions. In the summer period, the AQHI is classified between the middle and upper-medium health risk class. During the winter month, AQHI is mainly classified in the low-medium health risk class. The summer shows increased health risk despite the AQHI diurnal variability being lower when compared to December. Additionally, the diurnal differences between the two periods show an increased health risk in the summer period for the majority of the hours. Finally, this analysis shows that traffic activities possibly affect the health risk and also highlights that the authorities should adopt green policies to protect human health and the environment.

Among the most important trade bridges for Western Europe and the Balkans is the Port of Igoumenitsa in Western Greece, which experiences heavy traffic of goods and passengers. This case analysis primarily aims to investigate the effect of shipping and port operations on air quality in the Port of Igoumenitsa, comparing two representative short case seasons of air quality measurement campaigns. The high activity season ranges from 25 to 31 August 2018, while the low season ranges from 17 to 25 May 2018. A mobile air quality monitoring system was used to perform the analysis. To compare the air quality of the examined periods, the wind speed rose diagrams, the correlation analysis, as well as the hourly variations in concentrations of pollutants and meteorological parameters, were studied. In addition, the impact of meteorology and atmospheric circulation on local air quality were investigated. For study implementation, various types of data, obtained from NASA Worldview application, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), and Giovanni online system (NASA-GES-DISC) were included. The results indicate that port operations affect the air quality in the Port of Igoumenitsa, as the high season showed higher concentrations of air pollutants compared to the low season. A notable exception was the concentration of PMs, which was affected by an African dust transfer event during the low season. Finally, the findings indicate that climatic factors affect the pollution levels of the case analysis, and emphasize the importance of developing a green and sustainable management system within the port.

In July 2022, strong and high-frequency northern sector winds blew over the Aegean Sea. The low tropospheric circulation in combination with air quality and human comfort is of great importance for the climate and human health. This study investigates the variation in pollutants’ concentrations (PM₁₀, NO₂, O₃ and SO₂), meteorological factors (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction) and the discomfort index in the city of Rhodes during July 2022. Additionally, the impact of Etesians on pollution levels is studied. The strength of the Etesian flow is quantified by calculating a statistical index that takes the July pressure gradient (ΔP) over the Aegean Sea into consideration. For the analysis, pollutants’ concentration recordings from a mobile air-quality-monitoring system during July 2022 and mean sea level pressure (MSLP) data from ERA5 reanalysis during July for the period from 1980 to 2022 are analyzed. The results indicate that traffic affects the pollution level although the pollution limits, according to the European directive for air quality (2008/50/EC), are not exceeded. The findings also reveal an increase in ΔP, about 1.8 hPa, during 2022 compared to the period from 1980 to 2022 and the dipole of high (over Balkans) and low (over eastern Mediterranean) pressure centers also strengthens, leading to stronger winds over the Aegean Sea. The ΔP is strongly correlated (0.8) to the first principal component of MSLP over the eastern Mediterranean. Finally, this study shows that the Etesian flow tends to reduce the concentration of PM₁₀, NO₂ and O₃, and improving the air quality in the city of Rhodes.