Open AccessA study of pollutant concentration variability in an urban street under low wind speeds
Author(s) -
Martin D.,
Price C. S.,
White I. R.,
Nickless G.,
Dobre A.,
Shallcross D. E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
atmospheric science letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.951
H-Index - 45
ISSN - 1530-261X
DOI - 10.1002/asl.184
Subject(s) - tracer , wind speed , environmental science , pollutant , sulfur hexafluoride , air pollutants , dispersion (optics) , point source , wind direction , atmospheric dispersion modeling , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , chemistry , air pollution , physics , optics , organic chemistry , nuclear physics
The short time‐scale variability in pollutant concentrations in an urban street under very low wind speed conditions and short source–receptor distance has been investigated using the inert tracer sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) as a continuous point‐source (release times ≥ 5 min), and fast detection using separation by gas chromatography coupled with a μ‐electron capture detector (ECD). The results are complex but can be broadly interpreted in terms of horizontal wind speed and direction coherence. Comparisons with a simple dispersion model suggest that observed time‐averaged maximum concentrations approach predicted values, whilst instantaneous maximum concentrations vary greatly and would therefore be difficult to predict. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society