An Assessment of the On-Road Mobile Sources Contribution to Particulate Matter Air Pollution by AERMOD Dispersion Model

Jozef Salva, Miroslav Vanek, Marián Schwarz, Milada Gajtanska, Peter Tonhauzer and Anna Ďuricová
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Jozef Salva: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
Miroslav Vanek: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
Marián Schwarz: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
Milada Gajtanska: Department of Physics, Electrical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Technical University in Zvolen, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
Peter Tonhauzer: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, 833 15 Bratislava, Slovakia
Anna Ďuricová: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Technical University in Zvolen, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-23

Abstract: On-road mobile sources of emissions make important contributions to particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5 –PM 10 ) in cities. The quantification of such pollution is, however, highly challenging due to the number of interacting factors that affect emissions such as vehicle category, emission standard, vehicle speed and weather conditions. The proper identification of individual sources of emission is particularly necessary for air quality management areas. In this study, we estimated exhaust and non-exhaust traffic-related PM 2.5 and PM 10 contributions to total ambient pollution in Banská Bystrica (Slovak republic) by simulation based on the AERMOD dispersion model. Emission rates of particular vehicle categories were obtained through vehicle population statistics, traffic data survey and emission factors from the EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook. Continuous PM 10 and PM 2.5 data from air quality monitoring stations were analysed for the years 2019–2020 and compared with modelled concentrations. The annual concentration values of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the study area reached 16.71 μg/m 3 and 15.57 μg/m 3 , respectively. We found that modelled PM 2.5 peak concentration values exceeded the WHO air quality guideline annual mean limit. Traffic-related PM 2.5 and PM 10 contributions to ambient pollution at the reference point located nearby to a busy traffic route were approximately 25% and 17%, respectively. The reference point located outside the main transport corridors showed an approximately 11% contribution, both for PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations. The simulations showed that PM pollution is greatly contributed to by on-road mobile sources of emissions in the study area, and especially non-exhaust emissions, which require serious attention in association with their health impacts and the selection of Banská Bystrica as an air quality management area.

Keywords: AERMOD; air pollution; dispersion modelling; emissions; particulate matter; traffic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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