Computational Tools for Analysing Air Pollutants Dispersion: A Comparative Review

Atmospheric pollution is one of the biggest problems and concerns in modern society, especially in industrial and highly populated areas. Poor air quality can have adverse impact on human health and ecosystems. For this reason, air quality forecasting becomes increasingly important, especially for governments and administrations, which use these predictions to enhance the design of mitigation actions in order to reduce air pollution in urban areas. In this framework, process of pollutant dispersion simulation is the best way to predict the most affected areas by industrial and other kinds of emissions. To carry out these simulations, there is a great number of computational tools currently available. However, not all of them have the same functionalities, nor can they be applied to the same case studies, so it is necessary to establish the advantages and disadvantages of each one of them in order to choose the most suitable tool in each case. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to identify the main available simulation tools and to make a comparative review between them in order to define advantages and disadvantages.

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Contribution of Local and Transboundary Air Pollution to the Urban Air Quality of Fukuoka, Japan

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12040431 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 431

Author(s):

Ayako Yoshino ◽

Akinori Takami ◽

Keiichiro Hara ◽

Chiharu Nishita-Hara ◽

Masahiko Hayashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Gaseous Species ◽

Transboundary Air Pollution ◽

Local Air Pollution ◽

The City

Transboundary air pollution (TAP) and local air pollution (LAP) influence the air quality of urban areas. Fukuoka, located on the west side of Japan and affected by TAP from the Asian continent, is a unique example for understanding the contribution of LAP and TAP. Gaseous species and particulate matter (PM) were measured for approximately three weeks in Fukuoka in the winter of 2018. We classified two distinctive periods, LAP and TAP, based on wind speed. The classification was supported by variations in the concentration of gaseous species and by backward trajectories. Most air pollutants, including NOx and PM, were high in the LAP period and low in the TAP period. However, ozone was the exception. Therefore, our findings suggest that reducing local emissions is necessary. Ozone was higher in the TAP period, and the variation in ozone concentration was relatively small, indicating that ozone was produced outside of the city and transported to Fukuoka. Thus, air pollutants must also be reduced at a regional scale, including in China.

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Long-Term Assessment of Air Quality and Identification of Aerosol Sources at Setúbal, Portugal

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17155447 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (15) ◽

pp. 5447 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alexandra Viana Silva ◽

Cristina M. Oliveira ◽

Nuno Canha ◽

Ana Isabel Miranda ◽

Susana Marta Almeida

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Urban Traffic ◽

Anthropogenic Sources ◽

World Health ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Guideline Values ◽

Health Organization

Understanding air pollution in urban areas is crucial to identify mitigation actions that may improve air quality and, consequently, minimize human exposure to air pollutants and their impact. This study aimed to assess the temporal evolution of the air quality in the city of Setúbal (Portugal) during a time period of 10 years (2003–2012), by evaluating seasonal trends of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO, NO2 and NOx) measured in nine monitoring stations. In order to identify emission sources of particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were characterized in two different areas (urban traffic and industrial) in winter and summer and, afterwards, source apportionment was performed by means of Positive Matrix Factorization. Overall, the air quality has been improving over the years with a decreasing trend of air pollutant concentration, with the exception of O3. Despite this improvement, levels of PM10, O3 and nitrogen oxides still do not fully comply with the requirements of European legislation, as well as with the guideline values of the World Health Organization (WHO). The main anthropogenic sources contributing to local PM levels were traffic, industry and wood burning, which should be addressed by specific mitigation measures in order to minimize their impact on the local air quality.

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Changes in regional meteorology induced by anthropogenic heat and their impacts on air quality in South China

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-16-15011-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (23) ◽

pp. 15011-15031 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Min Xie ◽

Kuanguang Zhu ◽

Tijian Wang ◽

Wen Feng ◽

Da Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Wind Speed ◽

South China ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Surface Wind ◽

Vertical Movement ◽

Anthropogenic Heat ◽

Big Cities ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Anthropogenic heat (AH) emissions from human activities can change the urban circulation and thereby affect the air pollution in and around cities. Based on statistic data, the spatial distribution of AH flux in South China is estimated. With the aid of the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF/Chem), in which the AH parameterization is developed to incorporate the gridded AH emissions with temporal variation, simulations for January and July in 2014 are performed over South China. By analyzing the differences between the simulations with and without adding AH, the impact of AH on regional meteorology and air quality is quantified. The results show that the regional annual mean AH fluxes over South China are only 0.87 W m−2, but the values for the urban areas of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region can be close to 60 W m−2. These AH emissions can significantly change the urban heat island and urban-breeze circulations in big cities. In the PRD city cluster, 2 m air temperature rises by 1.1° in January and over 0.5° in July, the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) increases by 120 m in January and 90 m in July, 10 m wind speed is intensified to over 0.35 m s−1 in January and 0.3 m s−1 in July, and accumulative precipitation is enhanced by 20–40 % in July. These changes in meteorological conditions can significantly impact the spatial and vertical distributions of air pollutants. Due to the increases in PBLH, surface wind speed and upward vertical movement, the concentrations of primary air pollutants decrease near the surface and increase in the upper levels. But the vertical changes in O3 concentrations show the different patterns in different seasons. The surface O3 concentrations in big cities increase with maximum values of over 2.5 ppb in January, while O3 is reduced at the lower layers and increases at the upper layers above some megacities in July. This phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that chemical effects can play a significant role in O3 changes over South China in winter, while the vertical movement can be the dominant effect in some big cities in summer. Adding the gridded AH emissions can better describe the heterogeneous impacts of AH on regional meteorology and air quality, suggesting that more studies on AH should be carried out in climate and air quality assessments.

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EVALUATION OF METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCE ON BENZENE ACCIDENTAL POLLUTION. CASE STUDY: BACAU CITY 2008

Journal of Engineering Studies and Research ◽

10.29081/jesr.v23i1.257 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

Author(s):

DOINA CAPSA ◽

VALENTIN NEDEFF ◽

NARCIS BARSAN ◽

Emilian Mosnegutu ◽

DANA CHITIMUS

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Pollutant Dispersion ◽

Meteorological Factor ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Green Areas ◽

Accidental Pollution ◽

Industrial Waste Management

<p>Air quality depends on the type and size of industrial activities, traffic intensity, municipal and industrial waste management etc. In addition, air quality in urban areas depends by the green areas management, population density, climatic conditions and geographic. This paper study the correlations between the most important meteorological factors, humidity, temperature, wind and benzene accidental pollution, with influence on pollutant dispersion (related to 2008). The correlation were performed by taken in to considerations the accidental benzene pollution recorded in 2008 in Bacau City and meteorological factor recorded at the regional meteorological station.</p>

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The Eulerian urban dispersion model EPISODE. Part II: Extensions to the source dispersion and photochemistry for EPISODE-CityChem v1.2 and its application to the city of Hamburg

10.5194/gmd-2018-325 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Matthias Karl ◽

Sam-Erik Walker ◽

Sverre Solberg ◽

Martin O. P. Ramacher

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Atmospheric Chemistry ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Dispersion Model ◽

Model Performance ◽

Pollutant Dispersion ◽

Lower Latitude ◽

Urban Dispersion ◽

Grid Model ◽

The City

Abstract. This paper describes the CityChem extension of the Eulerian urban dispersion model EPISODE. The development of the CityChem extension was driven by the need to apply the model in lower latitude cities with higher insolation than in northern European cities. The CityChem extension offers a more advanced treatment of the photochemistry in urban areas and entails specific developments within the sub-grid components for a more accurate representation of the dispersion in the proximity of urban emission sources. The WMPP (WORM Meteorological Pre-Processor) is used in the point source sub-grid model to calculate the wind speed at plume height. The simplified street canyon model (SSCM) is used in the line source sub-grid model to calculate pollutant dispersion in street canyons. The EPISODE-CityChem model integrates the CityChem extension in EPISODE, with the capability of simulating photochemistry and dispersion of multiple reactive pollutants within urban areas. The main focus of the model is the simulation of the complex atmospheric chemistry involved in the photochemical production of ozone in urban areas. EPISODE-CityChem was evaluated with a series of tests and with a first application to the air quality situation in the city of Hamburg, Germany. A performance analysis with the FAIRMODE DELTA Tool for the air quality in Hamburg showed that the model fulfils the model performance objectives for NO2 (hourly), O3 (daily max. of the 8-h running mean) and PM10 (daily mean) set forth in the Air Quality Directive, qualifying the model for use in policy applications. Observed levels of annual mean ozone at the five urban background stations in Hamburg are captured by the model within 15 %. Envisaged applications of the EPISODE-CityChem model are urban air quality studies, emission control scenarios in relation to traffic restrictions and the source attribution of sector-specific emissions to observed levels of air pollutants at urban monitoring stations.

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LIFE MONZA: project description and actions’ updating

Noise Mapping ◽

10.1515/noise-2018-0005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 60-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Chiara Bartalucci ◽

Francesco Borchi ◽

Monica Carfagni ◽

Rocco Furferi ◽

Lapo Governi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Limit Values ◽

Low Emission ◽

Project Description ◽

Air Quality Improvement ◽

The City

Abstract The introduction of Low Emission Zones, urban areas subject to road traffic restrictions in order to ensure compliance with the air pollutants limit values set by the European Directive on ambient air quality (2008/50/EC), is a common and well-established action in the administrative government of cities. The impacts on air quality improvement are widely analysed, whereas the effects and benefits concerning the noise have not been addressed in a comprehensive manner. As a consequence, the definition, the criteria for the analysis and the management methods of a Noise Low Emission Zone are not clearly expressed and shared yet. The LIFE MONZA project (Methodologies fOr Noise low emission Zones introduction And management - LIFE15 ENV/IT/000586) addresses these issues. The first objective of the project, co-funded by the European Commission, is to introduce an easy-replicable method for the identification and the management of the Noise Low Emission Zone, an urban area subject to traffic restrictions, whose impacts and benefits regarding noise issues will be analyzed and tested in the pilot area of the city of Monza, located in Northern Italy. Background conditions, structure, objectives of the project and actions’ progress will be discussed in this article.

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Analysis of the Main Anthropogenic Sources’ Contribution to Pollutant Emissions in the Lazio Region, Italy

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11177936 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (17) ◽

pp. 7936

Author(s):

Gabriele Battista ◽

Emanuele de Lieto Vollaro ◽

Roberto de Lieto Vollaro

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Global Climate ◽

Atmospheric Stability ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Urban Traffic ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Anthropogenic Sources ◽

Lazio Region

Most cities worldwide suffer from serious air-quality problems, which have received increasing attention in the past decade. The most probable reason for the air-quality problems is the urban population growth, combined with a change in land use due to increasing urban areas. The emission of air pollutants is caused by different anthropogenic processes which can be categorized into the sources of urban traffic, industry, and domestic heating. Dispersion and dilution of air pollutants are strongly influenced by meteorological conditions, especially by wind direction, wind speed, turbulence, and atmospheric stability. With an increasing number of people living in cities, there is the need to examine the correlation between air pollution, local climate, and the effects these changes have on global climate. New interdisciplinary research studies are needed to increase our understanding of the interactions among these aspects. The aim is to analyze the pollutant condition in Rome and the other provinces of the Lazio region with qualitative and quantitative analysis, in order to understand which are the main pollutant sources and what is the correlation of habits of the population on air pollutant emissions.

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EVALUATION OF METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS INFLUENCE ON BENZENE ACCIDENTAL POLLUTION. CASE STUDY: BACAU CITY 2008

Journal of Engineering Studies and Research ◽

10.29081/jesr.v23i1.87 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 12-19

Author(s):

DOINA CAPSA ◽

VALENTIN NEDEFF ◽

NARCIS BARSAN ◽

EMILIAN MOSNEGUTU ◽

DANA CHITIMUS

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Meteorological Factors ◽

Pollutant Dispersion ◽

Meteorological Factor ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Green Areas ◽

Accidental Pollution ◽

Industrial Waste Management

Air quality depends on the type and size of industrial activities, traffic intensity, municipal and industrial waste management etc. In addition, air quality in urban areas depends by the green areas management, population density, climatic conditions and geographic. This paper study the correlations between the most important meteorological factors, humidity, temperature, wind and benzene accidental pollution, with influence on pollutant dispersion (related to 2008). The correlation were performed by taken in to considerations the accidental benzene pollution recorded in 2008 in Bacau City and meteorological factor recorded at the regional meteorological station.

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Pilot Study of Air Quality during Pre and Post COVID-19 Lockdown: An Inadvertent Assistance to the Environment

International Journal of Environment and Climate Change ◽

10.9734/ijecc/2021/v11i1030509 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 213-220

Author(s):

Akhtar Shareef ◽

Durdana Rais Hashmi

Keyword(s):

Particulate Matter ◽

Air Quality ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Virus Disease ◽

Trace Gases ◽

Industrial Areas ◽

Criteria Pollutants ◽

Novel Coronavirus

The main object of this study was to examine the levels of air quality in Karachi, Pakistan, before and during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wave of lockdown period levied to control the spread of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the environment of Karachi city. Momentous improvement in the air quality has been found during the ‘Lockdown’ being implemented due to the Corona Virus Disease (COVID -19) pandemic in Karachi city. Concentrations of trace gases and particulate matter were used to calculate the results according to the criteria of USEPA. We have analyzed data from fourteen different locations along the busy roads in commercial, residential and industrial areas of Karachi during the period of lockdown. Data were compared to the before lockdown (BL) and during the complete lockdown (CL 1stwave), smart lockdown (SL 2nd wave) and again complete lockdown (CL-2 3rd wave) of COVID pandemic. The results show drastic reductions in criteria pollutants (PM10, CO, SO2 and NOx) concentrations in all the selected area during lockdown period. This study explained the level of air quality and its relation to prepare alternative plans to mitigate the air pollutants and to improve the environment of urban areas.

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Near source modeling of pollutant emissions from an elevated source over an urban area under cross high ventilation

Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications ◽

10.1115/1.4052592 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Hammouda Mahjoub ◽

Sahar Ben Romdhane ◽

Nejla Mahjoub Said ◽

Halemah Ibrahim El-Saeedy ◽

Sami Znaidia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Local Population ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Pollutant Dispersion ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

Atmospheric Effects ◽

Source Modeling ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Elevated Source

Abstract Due to the rapid urbanization of many cities around the world, industrial manufacturing plants have grown rapidly, thus leading to the release of large amounts of pollutants into the environment. This is a main reason for the degradation of the local air quality, resulting in an increasing risk of unfavorable sanitary conditions for city dwellers. Understanding the dispersion of pollutants in local population environments, meteorological conditions and other physical characteristics is fundamental for predicting and evaluating air quality. This paper provides comprehensive details on the study of flow patterns and pollutant dispersion processes in urban areas. Several factors which include building geometry, local atmospheric effects, structural obstructions, and velocity of exhaust pollutants, are examined considering field data, wind tunnel tests, operational simulation techniques, and computational fluid dynamics. Good agreements are noticeable. Simultaneous evolutions of the velocity, thermal and scalar mass fraction fields of the pollutant emitting from a three-dimensional elevated source around a rectangular obstacle placed on a turbulent boundary layer wall, and also downstream the obstacle have been successfully carried out. The most serious pollutant levels in urban areas under various high wind velocities are identified.

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