CURRENT AND FUTURE NEEDS FOR AIR QUALITY SIMULATION MODELS

Abstract

The current and future needs for air quality models are clarified by a literature study of their current use and by studying the requirements for information by the law and the administrative system. The description of the current uses and their requirements for information are given by referring to the required temporal and spatial resolution of the results, and the requirements for source specification. Six different areas of applications have been considered. 1. Environmental Impact Studies 2. Development of Control Strategies 3. Land Use and Transportation Planning 4. Comprehensive Planning 5. Air Pollution Episodes 6. Research on Atmospheric Processes Three different areas of application that require models on different spatial scales are selected and the development of air quality models are considered in more detail for: 1. Single Stack 2. Street Canyon 3. Multiple Source - Urban Area The magnitudes of the different terms in the mass-balance equation for the pollution component are compared for two types of meteorological situation: 1. High, steady and homogeneous wind and turbulence conditions. 2. Low horizontal advection velocity and a stable temperature stratification suppressing vertical turbulent transport. The validation of air quality models is considered and systematic use of the models response to variations in the input parameters is suggested. The parameters that have importance for the specific application should be given attention.