Quantitative Analysis of Urban and Rural PM2.5 Concentrations in Eastern Mediterranean Countries: A Statistical and Comparative Study

This study presents a detailed statistical investigation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in urban and rural environments across Eastern Mediterranean countries. Data sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO) was supplemented with additional data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and NASA Earth data. The study aims to evaluate the predictive power of urban and rural PM levels on overall PM concentrations using linear regression models and residual analysis. Additionally, the novelty of this work lies in its regional focus and comparative approach to similar global studies, illustrating distinctive PM behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean context. Our findings indicate a stronger correlation between urban PM concentrations and total PM levels, in alignment with global patterns but uniquely characterized by local environmental and urbanization factors.