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2.2 Dispersion of Air Pollutants

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Outline
• Dispersion
• Factors affecting air pollution dispersion
• Effect of Lapse rate on Plumes
• Building Downwash
• Air pollution dispersion model
• Relevant researches in Nepal
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What is Dispersion?
Refers to what happens to the pollution during and after
its introduction.

Why Learn about pollution dispersion?

Understanding this may help in identifying and controlling
it.
4 Meteorology and Dispersion Modeling
Air Quality and Meteorology
Primary Metrological Parameter
• Wind speed, Wind Direction, Atmospheric Stability
Secondary Metrological Parameter
• Sunlight
• Temperature
• Precipitation and Humidity
• Topography
• Energy from the sun and earth’s rotation drives
atmospheric circulation
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Lapse Rate
 Lapse rate is the rate of change of temperature
with height
 Lapse rate is defined as Γ = - δT
δz
 Value of Γ varies throughout the atmosphere
 Dry adiabatic lapse rate – temperature decreases
due to lower pressure (ideal gas law)
dT
  1.00 C/100 m  -5.4 F / 1000 ft
dz
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Inversion
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Atmospheric Stability
The ability of the atmosphere to enhance or to resist
atmospheric motions.
Influences the vertical movement of air.
Γ > Γd Unstable

Γ = Γd Neutral

Γ < Γd Stable
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If the air parcels tend to sink back to their initial level after the lifting
exerted on them stops, the atmosphere is stable.

If the air parcels tend to rise vertically on their own, even when the
lifting exerted on them stops, the atmosphere is unstable.

If the air parcels tend to remain where they are after lifting stops, the
atmosphere is neutral.
9 Air Pollutant Dispersion from Point Sources
• Plume rise affects dispersion and transport
–Affects maximum ground level concentrations
–Affects distance to maximum ground level conc.
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Plume Rise

• Gases that are emitted from stacks are often pushed out by
fans
• As the turbulent exhaust gases exit the stack they mix with
ambient air
• This mixing of ambient air into the plume - entrainment
• As the plume entrains air into it, the plume diameter grows
as it travels downwind
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Effect of Lapse Rate on Plumes
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Weak Lapse Condition (Coning)

Z = altitude
T = Temp
Γ = adiabatic lapse rate
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• Is there good vertical mixing?

OK
• On sunny or cloudy days?
Partly cloudy
• Good for dispersing pollutants?
OK
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Inversion Condition (Fanning)

•High wind speed: Night time, High horizontal dispersion,

Vertical dispersion is suppresses by stable atmosphere.
•In the vertical, dispersion is suppressed by the stability of
the atmosphere, so pollution does not spread toward the
ground. This results in very low pollution concentrations at
the ground
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Inversion Below, Lapse Aloft (Lofting)

• What time of the day or night does this happen?

Evening –night as radiation inversion forms
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Favorable in the sense that fewer impacts at ground

level. Pollutants go up into environment. They are
created when atmospheric conditions are unstable
above the plume
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• In unstable air, the plume will whip up and down as the atmosphere
mixes around (whenever an air parcel goes up, there must be air going
down someplace else to maintain continuity, and the plume follows
these air currents). This gives the plume the appearance that it is
looping around.
• Vertical dispersion is very high.
• High probability of high concentrations sporadically at ground level
close to stack.
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Looping
• Is it at stable or unstable condition?
Unstable
• High or low wind speed?
Low wind speed
• Does it happen during the day or night?
Day
• Is it good for dispersing pollutants?
Yes
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Most dangerous plume: contaminants are all coming

down to ground level. They are created when
atmospheric conditions are inversion stable above
the plume and unstable below. This happens most
often after the daylight sun has warmed the
atmosphere, which turns a night time fanning plume
into fumigation for about a half an hour.
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Plume Air Pollutant Building Downwash
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Building Downwash
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Building Downwash – Short Stack
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Building Downwash – Taller Stack
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Building Downwash – Tallest Stack
25 Building Downwash for 2 Identical Stack
Emissions at Different Locations
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Air pollution dispersion Modeling
• Box Model
• Gaussian Model
• Lagrangian model
• Eulerian model
• Dense gas model
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Uses of Pollution Control Model
To determine which emission sources have the greatest
effect on ambient pollution concentration

For example, Emissions from tall stacks are dispersed

much farther than those from low sources such as
vehicles and lead to lower local concentrations of
pollutants.
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Pollution dispersion model for Kathmandu
• ICIMOD did a project entitled: “Rapid Urban
Assessment of Air Quality for Kathmandu, Nepal”
29 Total emissions from different sectors in
Kathmandu
30 Results of passive monitoring of particulates in the
dry season; example of PM10
31 Results of passive monitoring of particulates
in the wet season; example of PM10
32 Dispersion modelling maps for the dry and
wet seasons; example of particulate matter
33 Map of the Kathmandu study area showing
pollution hot spots; example of PM2.5
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Thank You
Any Questions ???