Title: Impact of NOx emissions on air quality simulations with the Bulgarian WRF-CMAQ modelling system

Authors: Dimiter Syrakov; Maria Prodanova; Emilia Georgieva; Iglika Etropolska; Kiril Slavov

Addresses: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Tsarigradsko shose Blvd., 66, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria ' National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Tsarigradsko shose Blvd., 66, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria ' National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Tsarigradsko shose Blvd., 66, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria ' National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Tsarigradsko shose Blvd., 66, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria ' National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), Tsarigradsko shose Blvd., 66, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria

Abstract: The WRF-CMAQ modelling system was applied for air quality simulation over Europe in the frame of the air quality model evaluation international initiative (AQMEII), phase 2. The models were run for the year 2010 for a domain of 5,000 × 5,000 km² with a horizontal grid resolution of 25 km. A preliminary evaluation of model results vs. EU surface measurements was conducted using JRC web-based ENSEMBLE platform. Model performance was characterised by overestimation for ozone and underestimation for NO₂. Trying to understand this fact, another set of NOx emissions, a more complete one, was prepared and the simulations were repeated for the entire year (BG1 and BG2 sets). The increase of NOx emissions with 30% slightly increase the quality of the simulation - the overestimation of O₃ decreases by a few percent and NO₂ concentrations increase and reach observed levels at rural sites, while they still remain underpredicted at urban sites.

Keywords: model sensitivity; NOx emissions; statistical analysis; air quality modelling; model evaluation; AQMEII; air pollution; Bulgaria; nitrogen oxides; simulation; WRF-CMAQ models; Europe; ozone; O3; urban areas; rural areas.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2015.074511

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2015 Vol.57 No.3/4, pp.285 - 296

Received: 26 Dec 2014
Accepted: 27 Oct 2015
Published online: 02 Feb 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article