Using Autranking Methods for Optimum Setting of Air Pollution Monitoring Stations

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Abstract

In recent years, increasing population, vehicles and industrial growth have caused air pollution that is initiated many environment problems and damaged public health. To check the air quality in different regions, pollution data that are collected in air pollution stations are required. For better and more realistic monitoring of air pollution, the stations must be distributed exactly and evenly. So one of the important considerations in implementing an air pollution control system is selecting the suitable locations for stations. To determine the appropriate places for the construction of new stations, decision making methods are purposed. In this paper, for this purpose, 20 new locations were initially proposed in Tehran. Governing factors, such as; population density, distance to nearby stations, distance to trees, building walls and streets, are identified and Priorities of stations are estimated based on 3 methods (namely: PROMETHEE, ELECTRE and WSM) and the results are compared. To provide unique ranking, the triple consolidating methods (simple average, Borda and Copland) were exercised. The validity of results are computed by using of the available air quality maps. Results indicate the optimality of PROMETHEE and triple consolidating methods. The results also show the immediate need for constructing new stations in the vicinity of Basij, Fath, Shahid Araqi, Yadegar-e-Emam and Tehran-Varamin highways.

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