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Atmosphere
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Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation
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Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 January 2024) | Viewed by 12795

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Miroslaw Zimnoch

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Nuclear Physics, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH-University of Science and Technology, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
Interests: atmosphere dynamics and composition; application of isotope tracers for greenhouse gas cycling studies; application of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) in atmospheric studies; numerical modeling of the atmospheric circulation and greenhouse gas transport
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The observed environmental degradation associated with climate change and air pollution and the growing public awareness of environmental improvements have increased the importance of research aimed at better understanding the physical processes that shape atmospheric pollution levels. Continued development of air pollution measurement technologies (including the development of low-cost sensors), advances in numerical models, and the use of machine learning algorithms help us to better understand the factors affecting air quality and more effectively develop remediation strategies.

This Special Issue of Atmosphere is dedicated to collecting and disseminating research results focused on the topics described above among scientists working in all aspects of urban air pollution measurements and modeling, as well as those involved in air quality management.

Original results, review papers, and model studies related to the following aspects are all welcome contributions:

  • Physical aspects of the dispersion of air pollutants in the urban boundary layer;
  • Emission source estimation based on bottom-up inventories;
  • Top-down methods of emission assessment;
  • Source apportionment based on statistical methods (principal component analysis, positive matrix factorization);
  • Application of different tracers and proxies for identification of emission source spatiotemporal patterns for different regions;
  • Case studies related to the application of crowdsourcing applications;
  • Urban air pollution modeling with classical and machine learning methods.

Dr. Miroslaw Zimnoch
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban atmosphere
  • air pollutants
  • boundary layer
  • source apportionment
  • air quality modeling
  • crowdsourcing applications

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 3132 KiB  
Article
Comparing Large-Eddy Simulation and Gaussian Plume Model to Sensor Measurements of an Urban Smoke Plume
by Dominic Clements, Matthew Coburn, Simon J. Cox, Florentin M. J. Bulot, Zheng-Tong Xie and Christina Vanderwel
Atmosphere 2024, 15(9), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15091089 - 7 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1169
Abstract
The fast prediction of the extent and impact of accidental air pollution releases is important to enable a quick and informed response, especially in cities. Despite this importance, only a small number of case studies are available studying the dispersion of air pollutants [...] Read more.
The fast prediction of the extent and impact of accidental air pollution releases is important to enable a quick and informed response, especially in cities. Despite this importance, only a small number of case studies are available studying the dispersion of air pollutants from fires in a short distance (O(1 km)) in urban areas. While monitoring pollution levels in Southampton, UK, using low-cost sensors, a fire broke out from an outbuilding containing roughly 3000 reels of highly flammable cine nitrate film and movie equipment, which resulted in high values of PM2.5 being measured by the sensors approximately 1500 m downstream of the fire site. This provided a unique opportunity to evaluate urban air pollution dispersion models using observed data for PM2.5 and the meteorological conditions. Two numerical approaches were used to simulate the plume from the transient fire: a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics model with large-eddy simulation (LES) embedded in the open-source package OpenFOAM, and a lower-fidelity Gaussian plume model implemented in a commercial software package: the Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling System (ADMS). Both numerical models were able to quantitatively reproduce consistent spatial and temporal profiles of the PM2.5 concentration at approximately 1500 m downstream of the fire site. Considering the unavoidable large uncertainties, a comparison between the sensor measurements and the numerical predictions was carried out, leading to an approximate estimation of the emission rate, temperature, and the start and duration of the fire. The estimation of the fire start time was consistent with the local authority report. The LES data showed that the fire lasted for at least 80 min at an emission rate of 50 g/s of PM2.5. The emission was significantly greater than a ‘normal’ house fire reported in the literature, suggesting the crucial importance of the emission estimation and monitoring of PM2.5 concentration in such incidents. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the two numerical approaches, aiming to suggest the selection of fast-response numerical models at various compromised levels of accuracy, efficiency and cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation)
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17 pages, 6795 KiB  
Article
Observational Evidence of the Vertical Exchange of Ozone within the Urban Planetary Boundary Layer in Shanghai, China
by Yixuan Gu, Fengxia Yan, Jianming Xu, Liang Pan, Changqin Yin, Wei Gao and Hong Liao
Atmosphere 2024, 15(3), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15030248 - 20 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1538
Abstract
The vertical mass exchange of ozone (O3) plays an important role in determining surface O3 air quality, the understanding of which, however, is greatly limited by the lack of continuous measurements in the vertical direction. Here, we characterize O3 [...] Read more.
The vertical mass exchange of ozone (O3) plays an important role in determining surface O3 air quality, the understanding of which, however, is greatly limited by the lack of continuous measurements in the vertical direction. Here, we characterize O3 variations at a high-altitude monitoring site at the top of Shanghai Tower (SHT) and discuss the potential impacts of the vertical exchange of air pollutants on O3 air quality within the urban planetary boundary layer (PBL) based on continuous measurements during 2017–2018. During the daytime, two distinct patterns of vertical O3 gradient are detected. In summer, the daytime O3 formation at SHT is observed to be more limited by nitrogen oxides (NOx) than the surface, which, together with the efficient vertical mixings, results in higher O3 levels in the upper mixing layer. In cold months, the opposite vertical gradient is observed, which is associated with weak vertical exchange and NOx-saturated O3 formation. A nighttime O3 reservoir layer and consistent morning O3 entrainments are detected all year round. These results provide direct evidence of the vertical mixings within the urban PBL, underscoring the pressing need for improving vertical resolution in near-surface layers of air quality models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation)
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23 pages, 6053 KiB  
Article
The WRF-CMAQ Simulation of a Complex Pollution Episode with High-Level O3 and PM2.5 over the North China Plain: Pollution Characteristics and Causes
by Xuedan Dou, Shaocai Yu, Jiali Li, Yuhai Sun, Zhe Song, Ningning Yao and Pengfei Li
Atmosphere 2024, 15(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020198 - 4 Feb 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1801
Abstract
The problem of atmospheric complex pollution led by PM2.5 and O3 has become an important factor restricting the improvement of air quality in China. In drawing on observations and Weather Research and Forecasting-Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF-CMAQ) model simulations, this study [...] Read more.
The problem of atmospheric complex pollution led by PM2.5 and O3 has become an important factor restricting the improvement of air quality in China. In drawing on observations and Weather Research and Forecasting-Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF-CMAQ) model simulations, this study analyzed the characteristics and causes of a regional PM2.5-O3 complex pollution episode in North China Plain, in the period from 3 to 5 April 2019. The results showed that in static and stable weather conditions with high temperature and low wind speed, despite photochemical reactions of O3 near the ground being weakened by high PM2.5 concentrations, a large amount of O3 generated through gas-phase chemical reactions at high altitudes was transported downwards and increased the O3 concentrations at the ground level. The high ground-level O3 could facilitate both the conversion of SO2 and NO2 into secondary inorganic salts and volatile organic compounds into secondary organic aerosols, thereby amplifying PM2.5 concentrations and exacerbating air pollution. The contributions of transport from outside sources to PM2.5 (above 60%) and O3 (above 46%) increased significantly during the episode. This study will play an instrumental role in helping researchers to comprehend the factors that contribute to complex pollution in China, and also offers valuable references for air pollution management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation)
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24 pages, 38219 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics and Multi-Factor Analysis of Near-Surface PM2.5 Concentration in Local-Scale Urban Areas
by Lin Liu, Huiyu He, Yushuang Zhu, Jing Liu, Jiani Wu, Zhuang Tan and Hui Xie
Atmosphere 2023, 14(10), 1583; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14101583 - 19 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1501
Abstract
Near-surface PM2.5 concentrations have been greatly exacerbated by urban land expansion and dense urban traffic. This study aims to clarify the effects of multiple factors on near-surface PM2.5 concentrations from three perspectives of background climatic variables, urban morphology variables, and traffic-related [...] Read more.
Near-surface PM2.5 concentrations have been greatly exacerbated by urban land expansion and dense urban traffic. This study aims to clarify the effects of multiple factors on near-surface PM2.5 concentrations from three perspectives of background climatic variables, urban morphology variables, and traffic-related emission intensity. First, two case areas covering multiple local blocks were selected to conduct mobile measurements under different climatic conditions. The observed meteorological parameters and PM2.5 concentration were obtained through GIS-based imaging. These interpolation results of air temperature and relative humidity reveal highly spatiotemporal diversity, which is greatly influenced by artificial heat emissions and spatial morphology characteristics in local areas. The PM2.5 concentration on measurement days also varies considerably from the lowest value of 44~56 μg/m3 in October to about 500 μg/m3 in December in Harbin winter and ranges between about 5 μg/m3 and 50 μg/m3 in Guangzhou summer. The correlation analysis reveals that both the climatic conditions and urban morphology characteristics are significantly correlated with local PM2.5 concentration. Especially for Guangzhou summer, the PM2.5 concentration was positively correlated with the street traffic emission source intensity with correlation coefficient reaching about 0.79. Multivariate nonlinear formulas were applied to fit the association between these factors and PM2.5 concentration with higher determined coefficients. And optimization strategies are thus suggested to improve the urban air quality in local-scale areas. This attribution analysis contributes to environmentally friendly urban construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation)
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24 pages, 27989 KiB  
Article
Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Ozone Concentration and Source Analysis during the COVID-19 Lockdown Period in Shanghai
by Shinan Shen, Li He, Wanqi Chen, Shuang Chen and Weichun Ma
Atmosphere 2023, 14(10), 1563; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14101563 - 13 Oct 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1715
Abstract
In March 2022, a new wave of COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Shanghai due to the widespread transmission of the Omicron variant. A two-month citywide lockdown was implemented from April 1st to May 31st, adopting measures such as zone-based classification and grid management. This [...] Read more.
In March 2022, a new wave of COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Shanghai due to the widespread transmission of the Omicron variant. A two-month citywide lockdown was implemented from April 1st to May 31st, adopting measures such as zone-based classification and grid management. This unique social event provided an “ideal air quality experiment” for pollution research. The rapid reduction in economic activities during the lockdown had many positive impacts on the environment, leading to overall improvements in air quality. Particularly, the concentration of NOx, one of the precursors to O3, significantly decreased. However, O3, as a typical secondary pollutant, showed a noticeable increase. This study uses the WRF-CAMx-OSAT air quality model method to analyze the source of O3 pollution in Shanghai from April to May 2022. The impact of O3 precursor control, sector sources, and regional contributions on the formation of O3 pollution in Shanghai is analyzed in depth. During the pandemic lockdown period, it was found that, in Shanghai, the overall O3 levels were controlled by VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and controlling VOCs proved to be an effective measure in reducing O3 concentrations in Shanghai. Compared with the same period in 2021, the proportion of road traffic sources contributing to ozone concentration has significantly decreased from 70.61% to 64.3%, but they are still the largest contributor. The contribution of industrial emissions to the ozone concentration has significantly risen from 20.71% to 26.36%, making them still the second largest contributor. Industrial and traffic sources are emission sources that require particular attention. The contribution ratio of local sources to external transport is about 7:3, which is higher than the ratio of local sources to external transport in the same period of 2021, which is about 6:4. The local ozone is the main source of ozone concentration in Shanghai, and controlling local source emissions is the key to controlling ozone concentration in the Shanghai area. When excluding the impact of long-range transport, the main areas contributing to O3 formation from local sources are Baoshan District, Jiading District, Qingpu District, and Chongming District, accounting for approximately 41.12% of the total absolute contribution. Different source regions exhibit significant spatial variations in their contributions to the ozone concentration. Through these studies, we aim to provide scientific support and control suggestions for the precise prevention and control of O3 pollution in Shanghai. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation)
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Review

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20 pages, 3476 KiB  
Review
The Impact of Shipping on Air Quality in the Port Cities of the Mediterranean Area: A Review
by Domenico Toscano
Atmosphere 2023, 14(7), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14071180 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4357
Abstract
Shipping emissions contribute significantly to air pollution at the local and global scales and will do so even more in the future because global maritime transport volumes are projected to increase. The Mediterranean Sea contains the major routes for short sea shipping within [...] Read more.
Shipping emissions contribute significantly to air pollution at the local and global scales and will do so even more in the future because global maritime transport volumes are projected to increase. The Mediterranean Sea contains the major routes for short sea shipping within Europe and between Europe and East Asia. For this reason, concern about maritime emissions from Mediterranean harbours has been increasing on the EU and IMO (International Maritime Organization, London, UK) agenda, also supporting the implementation of a potential Mediterranean Emission Control Area (MedECA). Many studies are concerned with the impact of ship emissions in port cities. Studies of the contributions of ship emissions to air quality at the local scale include several monitoring and modelling techniques. This article presents a detailed review of the contributions of ship emissions of NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 on air quality in the main ports in the Mediterranean area. The review extracts and summarises information from published research. The results show a certain variability that suggests the necessity of harmonisation among methods and input data in order to compare results. The analysis illustrates the effects of this pollution source on air quality in urban areas, which could be useful for implementing effective mitigation strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Air Pollution Observation and Simulation)
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