Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review

This research discusses the application of Sentinel satellite data for monitoring air pollution in port areas. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were comprehensively analysed to identify relevant peer-reviewed literature and assess research publications. The systematic literature review was co...

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Main Authors: Teresa Batista, Saad Ahmed Jamal, Crismeire Isbaex
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2202
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author Teresa Batista
Saad Ahmed Jamal
Crismeire Isbaex
author_facet Teresa Batista
Saad Ahmed Jamal
Crismeire Isbaex
author_sort Teresa Batista
collection DOAJ
description This research discusses the application of Sentinel satellite data for monitoring air pollution in port areas. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were comprehensively analysed to identify relevant peer-reviewed literature and assess research publications. The systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA methodology for inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 519 articles were identified from which 70 relevant articles were finally selected and discussed in detail for their relevancy to the maritime environment. Sentinel-5P was found to have several use cases in the literature that are useful for measuring maritime air pollution, while Sentinel 1 and 2 were mainly used for other applications like oil spills and water quality, respectively. Although aerial surveys, like those conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), offer more precise estimates of greenhouse gases (GHGs), they are only useful for certain applications because the technology is costly and impractical for daily monitoring. Satellite-based sensors are the state of the art for obtaining remote observations of emissions in open sea. Sentinel-5P measurements offer daily data for air quality monitoring, which supports ground surveys to identify and penalize major emission sources and consequently support environmental management in accordance with contemporary policies. Pollutant concentration levels for the maritime sector can be analysed both spatially and temporally using Sentinel-5P data. In the future, addressing the limitations of the Sentinel-5P data, such as underestimation and source separation, could improve air pollution assessments.
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spelling doaj-art-ac32bbdf314b4437a2f908bce34775132025-08-20T03:50:21ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-06-011713220210.3390/rs17132202Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature ReviewTeresa Batista0Saad Ahmed Jamal1Crismeire Isbaex2MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, University of Évora, 7004-516 Évora, PortugalMED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, University of Évora, 7004-516 Évora, PortugalMED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, University of Évora, 7004-516 Évora, PortugalThis research discusses the application of Sentinel satellite data for monitoring air pollution in port areas. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were comprehensively analysed to identify relevant peer-reviewed literature and assess research publications. The systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA methodology for inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 519 articles were identified from which 70 relevant articles were finally selected and discussed in detail for their relevancy to the maritime environment. Sentinel-5P was found to have several use cases in the literature that are useful for measuring maritime air pollution, while Sentinel 1 and 2 were mainly used for other applications like oil spills and water quality, respectively. Although aerial surveys, like those conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), offer more precise estimates of greenhouse gases (GHGs), they are only useful for certain applications because the technology is costly and impractical for daily monitoring. Satellite-based sensors are the state of the art for obtaining remote observations of emissions in open sea. Sentinel-5P measurements offer daily data for air quality monitoring, which supports ground surveys to identify and penalize major emission sources and consequently support environmental management in accordance with contemporary policies. Pollutant concentration levels for the maritime sector can be analysed both spatially and temporally using Sentinel-5P data. In the future, addressing the limitations of the Sentinel-5P data, such as underestimation and source separation, could improve air pollution assessments.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2202emissionsportsTROPOMIshipsPRISMA
spellingShingle Teresa Batista
Saad Ahmed Jamal
Crismeire Isbaex
Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review
Remote Sensing
emissions
ports
TROPOMI
ships
PRISMA
title Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review
title_full Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review
title_fullStr Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review
title_full_unstemmed Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review
title_short Sentinel Data for Monitoring of Pollutant Emissions by Maritime Transport—A Literature Review
title_sort sentinel data for monitoring of pollutant emissions by maritime transport a literature review
topic emissions
ports
TROPOMI
ships
PRISMA
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2202
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AT saadahmedjamal sentineldataformonitoringofpollutantemissionsbymaritimetransportaliteraturereview
AT crismeireisbaex sentineldataformonitoringofpollutantemissionsbymaritimetransportaliteraturereview