|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Earth Sciences |
| Air quality |
| Home > Earth Sciences > Air quality |  |
 |
|
Air Quality
OVERVIEW Air quality is a major environmental and health problem affecting industrialized and developing countries around the world. Main detrimental consequences of the exposure of humans to photochemical and particulate matter pollution include respiratory difficulties, especially for sensitive people, and also effects on ecosystems, like the loss of agricultural crops and damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The atmosphere has become a massive chemical reactor where pollutants react to yield a variety of pollutants. The gas-phase chemistry of the troposphere involves the oxidation of organic molecules in the presence of nitrogen oxides under the action of sunlight to generate ozone, which can be considered as the main product of tropospheric chemistry. This reaction is called photochemical smog because it contains an increased concentration of ozone in the lower atmosphere. It was first observed in large cities in the second half of the XX century. Nowadays, the majority of large cities in the world have problems related to air quality, not only in developed countries but also in cities of developing areas.  Fig. 1. 48-hr forecast of ozone with the BSC-Air Quality Forecast System in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands, 6-7 September 2006 One of the topics in which the European Commission has shown a greater concern is the necessity of developing actions that allow increasing the knowledge on transport and dynamics of atmospheric pollutants to assure the accomplishment of legislation and to inform the population about their levels. At the same time, the mother directive 1996/62/EC and daughter directives establish the possibility of using modelling techniques to assess air quality. This research line is based on the necessity to understand the dynamics of air pollution with the aim of obtaining a precise estimation of the air quality through high-resolution modelling. Air quality models (AQMs) are numerical representations of the atmospheric processes responsible for air pollution, including ozone formation and particulate matter (PM). AQMs are also an important tool in gaining understanding about the behaviour of various compounds in the atmosphere, especially the relation between emissions, atmospheric transport, chemistry and deposition.  Fig. 2. 48-hr forecast of ozone with the BSC-Air Quality Forecast System in Europe, 6-7 September 2006 OBJECTIVES The main objective of this research line is to understand the physico-chemical processes in the atmosphere that contribute to a decrease of air quality, and analyse the interactions between air pollutants and atmospheric processes. For that purpose, an air quality modelling system with high spatial and temporal resolution (1 km – 4 km and 1 hour) is under development, implementation and validation. It will consist in a set of models that will take into account emissions of anthropogenic and natural pollutants, meteorology and chemistry. The development of a high-resolution air pollution emission inventory database is a crucial objective to enhance the quality of existing and future air quality modelling systems. An emission inventory details the amounts and types of air pollutants released into the air. The involved studies can provide information on the types of sources that are emitting pollutants, their location and the amount of the pollutant emitted. New methodologies to estimate air pollution emissions are developed. The air quality modelling system will provide to the end-users an air quality forecasting and assessment service for Spain and Europe with high-spatial and temporal resolution, and for some hot spot areas with increased detail. PROJECTS/AREAS
PEOPLE  BALDASANO RECIO, JOSE MARIA , EARTH SCIENCES DEPARTMENT DIRECTORCAMPMANY, ELIES , RESEARCHERCARRERA, GERMAN , RESEARCH SUPPORT ENGINEERCLIMENT, NATALIA , RESIDENT STUDENTGASSO, SANTIAGO , AIR QUALITY GROUP MANAGERGONCALVES, MARIA , PHD STUDENT UPC-BSCGONZALEZ ALONSO, LAURA , TECHNICAL PROJECT SUPPORTGONZALEZ RAMOS, YENNY , RESIDENT STUDENTGUEVARA, MARC , RESIDENT STUDENTHAUSTEIN, KARSTEN , RESIDENT STUDENTISERN, REGINA , RESIDENT STUDENTLOPEZ VANO, EUGENIO , RESEARCH SUPPORT ENGINEERMARRAS, SIMONE , RESIDENT STUDENTMARTINEZ, FRANCESC , RESEARCH SUPPORT ENGINEERNIUBO, CRISTINA , RESEARCH SUPPORT ENGINEERORTIZ, JOANA , RESIDENT STUDENTSERRADELL MARONDA, KIM , TECHNICAL SUPPORTSICARDI, VALENTINA , RESEARCHERTELLOLI, LUCA , RESEARCH SUPPORT ENGINEERTERRADELLAS, ENRIC , ASSOCIATE RESEARCHERTERRADELLAS, ENRIC , ASSOCIATE RESEARCHER |
 |
| Barcelona Supercomputing Center, 2010 - Legal Notice |
