urban pollution Articles
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A comprehensive experimental databank for the models verification of urban car emission dispersion
A summary presentation is made of representative samples from a comprehensive experimental databank on car exhaust dispersion in urban street canyons. Physical modelling, under neutral stratification conditions, was used to provide visualisation, pollutant concentration and velocity measurements above and inside test canyons amidst surrounding urban roughness. The study extended to two different ...
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Sensitivity of urban dispersion calculations to urban meteorology (COST 715)
Generally, the worst air pollution occurs in cities. This paper describes the COST 715 programme, which is a European activity supporting scientific exchange and networks on 'meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems'. For urban pollution assessments one needs the input of pollution near the ground, 'averaged' over an area containing a mixture of houses, gardens, streets, etc. The ...
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Meteorology applied to urban air pollution problems: COST 715
The requirements of the framework Directive on air quality assessment and management introduce real practical problems for the meteorological community. Some of the meteorological variables needed in urban air pollution assessments are not routinely measured and in normal circumstances the number of meteorological stations in urban areas is limited to a few sites, often just at airports. The ...
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A comprehensive experimental databank for the verification of urban car emission dispersion models
A summary presentation is made of representative samples from a comprehensive experimental databank on car exhaust dispersion in urban street canyons. Physical modelling, under neutral stratification conditions, was used to provide visualisation, pollutant concentration and velocimetry measurements above and inside test canyons amidst surrounding urban roughness. The study extended to two ...
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Flow visualisation and tracer dispersion experiments at street canyon intersections
This paper summarises results from a series of wind-tunnel experiments on the flow and dispersion behaviour at an idealised intersection of four long street canyons, formed by a group of four rectangular buildings. Flow visualisation was used to explore the range of possible flow and dispersion patterns associated with various plan arrangements of the four buildings, and tracer dispersion ...
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Report on COST 615 Action "Database, monitoring and modelling of urban air pollution"
COST is a framework for scientific and technical cooperation, allowing the coordination of national research on a European level. It focuses on specific subjects for which there is particular interest in the COST countries. Action 615 concentrated on the physical, chemical and ecological aspects of urban air pollution. It combined activities from 18 European countries. This paper gives an ...
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The impact of landfills on the air quality of towns: a simple heuristic model for the city of Palermo
In this study, the landfill of Palermo, is investigated as a potential source of the unusual methane concentrations found in the urban context. The source for these pollution episodes is identified by means of a simple heuristic method. A cross-correlation analysis between wind data and methane concentration levels is also used to confirm the hypotheses formulated. Doppler Sound Detection And ...
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A Bayesian model for studying urban air pollution and respiratory symptoms in children
The association between traffic–related air pollution and long–term respiratory health problems has been extensively studied. In this work we evaluated the effect of traffic–related air pollution on respiratory symptoms in children living in Florence, Italy. Children were selected from different schools part of the Italian Studies on Respiratory Disorders in Children and the Environment 2. ...
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Evaluation of urban pollution abatement strategies by a photochemical dispersion model
High ozone levels are regularly reached during the summer period in Italian urban areas, indicating the need for a careful design of primary pollutants emission reduction strategies. In this perspective, the CALGRID-CALMET modelling system has been applied to the Milano metropolitan area and its suburbs, a very industrialised and populated region in the Po Valley. A simulation domain of 100 x 100 ...
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Involving the public in local air pollution assessment: a citizen participation case study
The central theme of this paper is that the assessment of environmental issues requires citizen participation for several reasons, including access to local knowledge, quality assurance and to reveal values and agendas. One methodology for involving the public is presented, based around the case of air pollution assessment in Sheffield. The study procedure of using citizen groups is described, ...
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Monitoring with the use of passive samplers ? a useful source of information for the mapping and modelling of urban atmosphere pollution
Due to human activities, increasing numbers of harmful substances are emitted into the atmosphere; they are recognised as potentially dangerous to living organisms, mainly because of their toxicity. Among others, compounds from the BTEX group, e.g. benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, are considered as such toxic substances. They are present in the air above urbanised as well as rural ...
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Some aspects of air pollution in Buenos Aires city
This paper presents three aspects of air pollution in the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina). First, we describe the main features of air pollution climatology in the city: the characteristics of wind flow, atmospheric stability and mixing heights. Then, we present the results of the application of DAUMOD and ISCST3 atmospheric dispersion models to calculate spatial and temporal distributions of ...
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Pollutant source identification in a city district by means of a street network inverse model
This study presents the performances of an inverse modelling approach aiming to identify position and emission rate of a localised pollutant source placed within a city district. To that purpose we combine wind tunnel experiments and an urban dispersion model. Experiments are performed in an idealised urban canopy, made up of regularly spaced blocks, and provide the pollutant concentration field ...
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Daytime ventilation conditions in Buenos Aires city, Argentina
From routinely available observational data, the daytime ventilation conditions in Buenos Aires city have been studied. The climatological behaviour was analysed. The study included the effects of local conditions, such as the coastal location, the urban features and the influence of air humidity on the characteristic parameters of the dispersive capability of the atmosphere. The frequencies of ...
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Near-field geometry effects on urban street canyon measurements for model validation
Selection of numerical urban pollution dispersion models for regulatory purposes entails reliable prior validation against either physical modelling or field measurements. It is shown that an asymmetric geometry of the urban street canyon, in which measurement takes place, induces persistent gradients in pollution dispersion within it, irrespective of the wind vector meandering above the roofs. ...
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Accurate PBL Simulation Helps Model Urban Pollution
Atmospheric transport models benefit from real-time localized data inputs. Deteriorating air quality in urban areas is causing growing concern about public health and climate change. To gain a better understanding of air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, some cities and states are attempting to establish a baseline and collect data over time to track changing conditions. By comparing ...
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Comparison between dispersion parameters deduced from wind fluctuations and Pasquill values: application to a short-range urban pollution case
The real-time prediction of pollution episodes in urban areas close to industrial plants is of great importance for regulatory control, so that emissions can be reduced when high pollution levels are observed. For this purpose, an 'on-line' practical model must be used with a limited number of input meteorological data. However, two questions arise. What are the ability and the accuracy of the ...
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Studies of air quality predictors based on neural networks
In recent years, urban air pollution has emerged as an acute problem because of its negative effect on health and living conditions. Regional air quality problems, in general, are linked to violations of specified air quality standards. The current study aims to find neural network based air quality predictors, which can work with a limited number of datasets and are robust enough to handle data ...
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Chemical reactions at street scale using a Lagrangian particle dispersion model
In the context of the FEDER AIRCITY project, Paris City is modelled with a 3 m resolution with the purpose of computing pollutant concentration relevant for human exposition. This project involves AIRPARIF (Ile-de-France Air Quality Monitoring Network), for emission and immission data, CEA (French Atomic and Alternative Energy Agency) for HPC availability, National Geographic Institute (IGN) for ...
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Recent advancements in numerical modelling of flow and dispersion in urban areas: a short review
This paper reviews recent findings in the field of flow and pollutant dispersion modelling around buildings and within complex urban geometries. Complexity is not only associated to the packing density of buildings, but originates also from building-height variability, buoyancy effects close to the building walls, traffic-produced turbulence and from the presence of vegetation. Recent results ...
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