Air-quality impact of PM10 emission in urban centres

PULIAFITO, E; CASTRO, FERNANDO; ALLENDE, DAVID

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENT AND POLLUTION

INDERSCIENCE ENTERPRISES LTD

Año: 2011 vol. 46 p. 127 - 143

0957-4352

This paper calculates a detailed inventory of PM10 emissions in the urban area of Mendoza, Argentina, and evaluates the impact of such emissions by using the CALPUFF dispersion program. It includes direct and indirect emissions from mobile sources; emissions from industrial sources and fugitive emissions from unpaved road and dust production from bare land. Mobile exhaust emissions were calculated using the International Vehicle Emission (IVE) Model, and non-exhaust emissions following the CORINAIR/COPERT methodology. The total emissions were spatially distributed in 500 ~ 500 m cell grid organised in Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The calculated PM10 concentrations were compared with existing PM10 measurements, showing adequate agreement. Emissions from mobile sources are the main source of air pollution in the urban downtown area, which produces PM10 concentration of 80 ƒÊg/m3. The main results of this study show the relevance of indirect vehicular particulate emissions owing to resuspension, which contributes 37% of the emissions compared with 21% from exhaust emissions. Heavy-duty diesel freight and bus transport are the main sources for PM10 emissions, despite their low contribution to the fleet composition.