Open AccessModelling air pollution around nuclear power plants: validation of dispersion models using tracer data
Author(s) -
Marija Zlata Božnar,
Primož Mlakar,
Boštjan Grašič,
Zoran Gršić,
Sebastian Hettrich,
Francesco Mancini,
Luc Patryl,
Kathleen M Thiessen
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of radiological protection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1361-6498
pISSN - 0952-4746
DOI - 10.1088/1361-6498/ac7a6f
Subject(s) - atmospheric dispersion modeling , terrain , environmental science , tracer , meteorology , inversion (geology) , dispersion (optics) , thermal power station , air pollution , wind speed , data set , computer science , geology , engineering , geography , paleontology , chemistry , physics , cartography , organic chemistry , structural basin , artificial intelligence , nuclear physics , optics , waste management
The Šoštanj exercise of the Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments I Urban Environments Working Group took advantage of a set of measurement data from a 1991 tracer experiment to test atmospheric dispersion models for emissions from point sources over complex terrain. The data set included emissions of SO 2 from the stacks of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant in Slovenia, measurements of the SO 2 at a number of locations in the surrounding area up to 7 km from the plant, and meteorological data from several monitoring stations, all as measured half-hour average values. Two sets of meteorological conditions were modelled: (a) a simple situation with a strong wind blowing from a point source directly towards a monitoring station; and (b) a complex situation involving a temperature inversion and convective mixing. The modelling results enable the assessment of the capabilities of various dispersion models in handling both complex terrain and complex meteorological situations.