The Impact of the Transformation of Agricultural Lands into Urbanized Areas on Micro-Scale Air Pollutants: The Case of Yalıncak, Trabzon

Soil is a vital non-renewable resource and the main basis of agriculture. However, urbanization and growing non-agricultural demands are steadily reducing agricultural lands. This situation brings with it many environmental problems, especially in cities, and leads to deterioration of air quality at micro and macro scales. One of the important functions of agricultural soils is to store large amounts of carbon through organic matter accumulation. Agricultural areas help improve air quality by limiting wind-borne dust and particulates. The study area was agricultural land prior to 2009. However, half of the study area was opened to construction and currently provides mass housing services. Within the scope of the research, pollutant (PM2.5, PM10, CO, CO2) measurements were made in both study areas, and the obtained data were compared, and the effect of agricultural areas on micro air quality was examined. According to the obtained results, it was observed that carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in agricultural areas were lower compared to constructed areas. CO levels were measured between 1.09 µg/m³ and 2.87 µg/m³ in agricultural areas and between 2.09 µg/m³ and 2.98 µg/m³ in built-up areas. Similarly, thanks to agricultural vegetation, CO₂ levels remained between 251.47 µg/m³ and 429.97 µg/m³ in agricultural areas and between 411.75 µg/m³ and 520.59 µg/m³ in built-up areas. These findings indicate that agricultural lands enhance carbon absorption, reduce particulate matter, and are vital for sustainable urbanization.