Module B:

Air Quality
Sources,Transport/Transformation,
Receptor & Control Technology

Manoranjan Sahu
ESED, IIT Bombay
Email: mrsahu@iitb.ac.in
1
 Learning Objective

5. To explain effects of meteorology and physico-

chemical phenomena of transport of pollutants in
the atmosphere
6. To learn about air quality modelling methods

2
Types of Sources

• Point
• Line
• Area

3
 Mixing/Dispersion
Meteorology
• Vertical
Other meteorological
oTemperature parameters
−Lapse Rate
• Sunlight
• Horizontal
• Precipitation
oWind
−Speed • Humidity
−Direction

A number of following slides have been taken/adapted from

Prof. Phuleria’s ES200 lectures.
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 Dispersion – Gaussian Plume
Higher the wind speeds, longer distance the
pollutants carried to, but more quickly they
will be cleared from an air space as well

WIND

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 Wind Rose
1 knot = 1.82 km/hr
• Wind roses are divided into
16 wind directions

• Each wind direction is

divided into wind speeds
Wind profile of Mumbai on 31/Oct/2017
• As the percent of time the www.meteoblue.com
wind blows from a
particular directions gets
larger, the portion of the
bar representing the wind
speed gets larger both in
length and width

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/ozone/areas/wind.htm#dlfi
6
 Wind Rose 1 knot = 1.82 km/hr

Wind profile Delhi (Dec 2008- Nov 2009)

Sarkar and Khillare,

7 2012
 Lapse Rates

Atmosphere (troposphere) cools with

height
@what rate ?
• Dry (Adiabatic) 10°C/km
• Wet (Adiabatic) 6°C/km
(Release of heat with condensation)
dT g
   1 C/100 m
dz CP
Actual lapse rate
> Г, unstable or super-adiabatic
< Г, stable or sub-adiabatic
= Г, neutral (same rate)
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 Vertical mixing: Lapse Rates
ADIABATIC (1°C/100 m)

ACTUAL 19°C Air

1100 m
Parcel at
1100 m

1000 m (say) 20°C Air

Parcel
Unstable atmosphere,
superadiabatic lapse rate

18 °C 19 °C 20 °C
10
Lapse rates: Scenarios

11
 Lapse rates: Scenarios

(a) (b)

12
 Lapse rates: Scenarios
Adiabatic

Actual

WIND

13
 Lapse rates: Scenarios

• Extreme case of stability

when lapse rate is
actually positive, i.e.
temperature increases
with altitude
• Resulting temperature
Height

inversion prevents
nearly all upward
mixing.
Adiabatic

Actual
Temperature
14
Lapse rates: Scenarios

Adiabatic

Actual
Height

Temperature
15
Lapse rates: Scenarios
Adiabatic
Height Actual

Temperature
16
Effect of Lapse Rate on Plumes

Masters & Ela, 2008

 Today’s Learning Objective !
6.To learn about air quality modelling methods
 Why do we need modeling?
1. How do pollutants behave once they are emitted?
2. How do we predict their concentration in
atmosphere?
3. How can we determine whether new sources
satisfy the emission requirements?
4. How can we predict improvement of air quality
that must be achieved when new sources are
proposed for a nonattainment area?
Gaussian Plume Model

Masters & Ela, 2008

Gaussian Plume Model

Masters & Ela, 2008

 Gaussian Plume Model
The gaussian point source dispersion equation relates
average , steady state pollutant concentration, to the
source strength, wind speed, effective stack height, and
atmospheric conditions
Assumptions:
– The rate of emission from the source is constant

– Wind speed is constant both in time and elevation

– Pollutant is conservative (It is not lost by decay, chemical reaction, or

deposition. When it hits the ground not absorbed and all is reflected

– Terrain is relatively flat, open country

– Pollutant concentration follow a normal distribution about center line

Masters & Ela, 2008

Point Source GPM: Mathematical expression

 Q     y
2
     
2

C x, y,0  
1 1 H
 exp     exp    
 s y s z u H    2  s y      2  s z   
 
Where,
C = downwind concentration at ground level
(mg/m3)
Q = emission rate of pollutant (mg/s)
sy, sz = plume standard deviations (m)
u = wind speed (m/s)
x, y, z = distances (m)
H = Effective Stack Height (m)
Point Source GPM: Effective Stack Height
H  h  H where, H = Effective stack height (m)
h = height of physical stack (m)
ΔH = plume rise (m)

• Holland’s formula

   Ts  Ta  
1.5   2.68 10 P 
vs d
H  3
d 

u    T s  
where, vs = stack velocity (m/s)
d = stack diameter (m)
u = wind speed (m)
P = atmospheric Pressure, millibars
Ts = stack gas temperature (ºK)
Ta = air temperature (ºK)
 Point Source GPM: Stability Categories

A Extremely Unstable D Neutral

B Moderately Unstable E Slightly Stable
C Slightly Unstable F Moderately Stable
Point Source GPM:
Horizontal
Dispersion (sy)
Point Source GPM:
Vertical Dispersion
(sz)
Point Source GPM:
Vertical & horizontal Dispersion (sy, sz)

Masters & Ela, 2008

Point Source GPM: Wind Speed Correction
• Unless the wind speed at the virtual stack height is
known, it must be estimated from the ground wind
speed
Point Source GPM:
Effect of effective stack height

Masters & Ela, 2008

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Point Source GPM:
Effect of atmospheric stability
classification

Masters & Ela, 2008

33
Point Source GPM

Example !
A stack in an urban area is emitting 80 g/s of NO.
It has an effective stack height of 100m. The wind
speed is 4 m/s at 10 m. It is a clear summer day
with the sun nearly overhead. Estimate the
ground level concentration at:
a. 2 km downwind on the centerline, and
b. 2 km downwind, 0.1 km off the centerline.
Point Source GPM: Example !
1. Determine stability class
Assume wind speed is 4 m/s at ground surface.
Description suggests strong solar radiation.
hence stability class is B
clear summer day with the
sun nearly overhead; wind
speed 4 m/s at 10 m.
 Point Source GPM: Example !

2. Estimate the wind speed at the effective

stack height
Note: effective stack height given – no need
to calculate using Holland’s formula

p
 z2 
0.15
 100 
u2  u1    4   5.65 m/s
 z1   10 
Point Source GPM: Example !

3. Determine σy and σz
Point Source GPM: Example !

3. Determine σy and σz
σy = 290

290
Point Source GPM: Example !

3. Determine σy and σz
σz = 220

220
Point Source GPM: Example !

4. Determine concentration using the Eqn.

a. x = 2000, y = 0

80  1 0 
2
  1  100  
2

C (2000,0)  exp    exp   

 (290)(220)(5.6)  2  290    2  220  

C (2000 ,0)  6.37 10 5 g/m3  63 .7 μg/m3

Point Source GPM: Example !

4. Determine concentration using the Eqn.

b. x = 2000, y = 0.1 km (= 100m)

80  1  100 
2
  1  100  
2

C (2000,100)  exp    exp   

 (290)(220)(5.6)  2  290    2  220  

C (2000 ,0)  6.00 10 5 g/m3  60 μg/m3

 Line Source Dispersion Model
• Useful in certain
conditions where source
is distributed along a
line with continuous
emissions

• Hence, ground level

conc. of pollutant at a
distance perpendicular
distance x can be
obtained by:

Where
q = emission rate per unit distance along the line (g/m-s)
 Area Source Model
• Useful for distributed
sources spread over an
area
• e.g. Box model for an
airshed over a city
• Pollutants are assumed
to be uniformly mixed
in the box

• If we assume the pollutant is conservative, then

 Area Source Model
• If we assume the pollutant is
conservative, then

• Hence the steady state solution of the above equation, by simply setting
dC/dt=0, is:
 Area Source Model

• The time-dependent change in the pollutant concentration in the

city can be obtained by following:

Where, C(0) is the concentration in the

airshed at t=0

• If we assume incoming wind blow relatively no pollution in the box,

C(0)=0 then:
 Box Model: Example !
In a square city of 15 km a side, there are 2,00,000 cars on the road, each
driven 30 km between 4-6pm, and each emitting 3 g/km of CO. It’s a clear
winter evening with radiation inversion restricting mixing height to 20 m.
The wind is bringing clean air at a steady rate of 1.0 m/s, along an edge of
the city. Using box model estimate CO at 6 pm if there was no CO in air at
4 pm, and only source of CO is cars. Assume CO is conservative and
uniform mixing in the box.

First, calculate the CO emissions, qs (in units of mass/area-time):

200000 cars  30 km / car  3 g / km

qs 
(15 10 3 m) 2  3600 s / hr  2hr
 1.1 10 5 g / s  m 2

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 Box Model: Example !
In a square city of 15 km a side, there are 20,000 cars on the road, each driven 30 km
between 4-6pm, and each emitting 3 g/km of CO. It’s a clear winter evening with radiation
inversion restricting mixing height to 20 m. The wind is bringing clean air at a steady rate
of 1.0 m/s, along an edge of the city. Using box model estimate CO at 6 pm if there was no
CO in air at 4 pm, and only source of CO is cars. Assume CO is conservative and
uniform mixing in the box.

Hence,

1.1105 g / s  m2 15 103 m    1.0m / s  7200s 

C (2hr )  1  exp 
1.0m / s  20m   15 10 m3


 3.2  10 3 g / m 3
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 Indoor Box Model
• Similar to urban airshed, a box
model can be used for
indoor environments

• e.g. a basic mass balance for

pollution in the building/ room,
assuming well-mixed conditions:
 Indoor Box Model: Example !
An outdoor airflow of 0.047 m3/s enters a 3 m high room having a 100 m2
of new wall-to-wall carpet. If one square meter carpet gives off
formaldehyde (HCHO) at a rate of 0.1 mg/s, assuming outdoor air is
formaldehyde free and formaldehyde is conservative:
1. What is the outdoor air change rate for the room?
2. What is the formaldehyde conc. under steady state?
3. If the carpet is removed very quickly from the room, how long would
it take for the formaldehyde to reach 5% of its initial conc.?

1. Air change rate, n = Q/V

0.047m3 / s
n  3600s / hr
(3m 100m )2

 0.56 / hr = 0.56 ACH

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 Indoor Box Model: Example !
An outdoor airflow of 0.047 m3/s enters a 3 m high room having a 100 m2 of new
wall-to-wall carpet. If one square meter carpet gives off formaldehyde (HCHO) at a
rate of 0.1 mg/s, assuming outdoor air is formaldehyde free and formaldehyde
is conservative:

2. What is the formaldehyde conc. under steady state?

2. Formaldehyde conc. under steady state,

S /V S
C ( )  
n Q

0.1mg /(s.m 2 ) 100 m 2

  213 mg / m 3

0.0476 m 3 / s
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 Indoor Box Model: Example !
An outdoor airflow of 0.047 m3/s enters a 3 m high room having a 100 m2 of new
wall-to-wall carpet. If one square meter carpet gives off formaldehyde (HCHO) at a
rate of 0.1 mg/s, assuming outdoor air is formaldehyde free and formaldehyde
is conservative:
3. If the carpet is removed very quickly from the room, how long
would it take for the formaldehyde to reach 5% of its initial
conc.?

3. Time for HCHO to reach its 5% value,

C (t )  C (0)e  nt or C (t ) / C (0)  e  nt
=> 0.05  e 0.56t
Therefore, t = 5.3 hr
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 Air Quality
Land-use Model

Meteorology

Air Pollutant
Emissions Concentrations
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