Title: Modelling photochemical air pollutant formation in Hungary using an adaptive grid technique

Authors: Istvan Lagzi, Tamas Turanyi, Alison S. Tomlin, Laszlo Haszpra

Addresses: Department of Physical Chemistry, Eotvos University (ELTE), P.O. Box 32, Budapest H-1518, Hungary. ' Department of Physical Chemistry, Eotvos University (ELTE), P.O. Box 32, Budapest H-1518, Hungary. ' Energy and Resources Research Institute, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. ' Hungarian Meteorological Service, P.O. Box 39, Budapest H-1675, Hungary

Abstract: A regional air quality model has been developed that describes the transport and chemical transformation of photochemical oxidants across Central Europe using an adaptive gridding method to achieve high spatial resolution. High-resolution emission inventories for Budapest and Hungary were utilised. The air pollution episode in August 1998 was modelled using a fixed coarse grid (mesh size 70 km) a fixed fine grid (17.5 km) and an adaptive, variable sized (from 17.5 to 70 km) grid. The fine and the adaptive grid models provided similar results, but the latter required 50% longer computing time. High ozone concentrations appeared downwind of Budapest and the plume extended up to about 150 km from the city at 17.00 on the simulated day. The simulation results were compared with ozone concentrations measured at the K-puszta and Hortobagy monitoring stations.

Keywords: photochemical air pollution; urban plume; adaptive grid method; Eulerian model; Hungary; air quality; ozone concentrations; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2009.021816

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2009 Vol.36 No.1/2/3, pp.44 - 58

Published online: 05 Dec 2008 *

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