Determination of air pollution's homogenous areas in Mashhad

Air pollution is not only a threat to human health but also is a factor of a country under developing. Air pollution leads to decrease of life quality because of increase in death and some diseases. So, it decreases levels of incomes, efficiency, and economics due to the decrease in effective employees. In this article, the spatial distribution of Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5), as the major pollutant of Mashhad, was investigated with cluster analysis. So, 24 monthly maps related to the years of 1393 and 1394 of Mashhad were derivate. Angle points of maps were determined in Arc GIS software and were used in T matrices. Cluster analysis with Ward method was used to determine homogenous areas. Results showed that there is three separate area with the different amount of air pollution. Minimum air pollution belongs to the first region, which is in the northwest of Mashhad with 18.2% of Mashhad’s area. The second region, which has 56.5% of the area, is in the central zone and the third region with maximum air pollution, is in the east zone of Mashhad with the 25.3% of the area. Mean concentration of PM2.5 in the third region was 32.4 micrograms per cubic meter which were the maximum density in all regions.