Title: Operational background air pollution prediction over Slovenia by QualeAria modelling system - validation

Authors: Marija Zlata Božnar; Primož Mlakar; Boštjan Grašič; Giuseppe Calori; Alessio D'Allura; Sandro Finardi

Addresses: MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' ARIANET Srl, Via Gilino n. 9, 20128 Milano, Italy ' ARIANET Srl, Via Gilino n. 9, 20128 Milano, Italy ' ARIANET Srl, Via Gilino n. 9, 20128 Milano, Italy

Abstract: Slovenia is a country of very complex terrain and many problems with air pollution in the valleys, canyons and basins, where industrial air pollution is combined with traffic and domestic heating air pollution, giving rise to problems for the health impact and the ecosystems directly or indirectly. Among indirect effects is also effect on solar radiation budget because of photochemical smog and especially particulate air pollution. To assess air pollutants over the country, a preliminary application of an experimental operational forecast system is presented here, with the aim of exploring its potentials and limitations in modelling the background air quality, and to focus the aspects where improvements are needed for a true operational use.

Keywords: air pollution; pollution prediction; operational modelling; validation; complex terrain; Slovenia; air quality; operational forecasting.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2014.065118

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2014 Vol.54 No.2/3/4, pp.175 - 183

Published online: 29 Oct 2014 *

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