Title: Impact of ship emissions on local air quality in a Mediterranean city's harbour after the European sulphur directive

Authors: Riccardo Buccolieri; Rita Cesari; Adelaide Dinoi; Alberto Maurizi; Francesco Tampieri; Silvana Di Sabatino

Addresses: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche ed Ambientali, University of Salento, S.P. 6 Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy ' CNR-Institue of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Sede di Lecce, Str. Prov. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.200, 73100 Lecce, Italy ' CNR-Institue of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Sede di Lecce, Str. Prov. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.200, 73100 Lecce, Italy ' CNR-Institue of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Sede di Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, 40100 Bologna, Italy ' CNR-Institue of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Sede di Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, 40100 Bologna, Italy ' Department of Physics and Astronomy – DIFA, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy

Abstract: We present a modelling approach to investigate the impact of ship emissions in the port of Brindisi (IT) on local air quality. The focus is on the impact on pollutant concentrations due to the implementation of the MARPOL Annex VI and the associated NOx technical code 2008 (concerning NOx emissions) and the Directives 2005/33/EU-2012/33/EU (concerning the sulphur content of maritime fuels). Emissions are estimated through an adapted MEET methodology using appropriate emission factors for manoeuvring and hotelling phases. Numerical simulations of NOx, SO₂ and primary PM₁₀ are performed by means of the mesoscale model BOLCHEM coupled off-line with ADMS-Urban. The impact of present and future ship emissions on air quality in the port area is evaluated. After the implementation of the Directives 2005/33/EU-2012/33/EU for the year 2012 SO₂ showed a significant concentration reduction especially close to the port area, while primary PM₁₀ concentration reduction was minor, as well as that of NOx, as a consequence of the NOx technical code. No significant reductions were found for the year 2020.

Keywords: ship emissions; urban pollution; ADMS-Urban; BOLCHEM; harbour areas; vessel emissions; local air quality; air pollution; European Union; EU directives; Italy; NOx emissions; sulphur content; maritime fuels; numerical simulation; modelling; port areas; Brindisi.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2016.078061

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2016 Vol.59 No.1, pp.30 - 42

Accepted: 11 Apr 2016
Published online: 31 Jul 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article