Title: Computer simulations of the impact of air pollution on the quality of life and health risks in Bulgaria

Authors: Ivelina Georgieva; Vladimir Ivanov

Addresses: National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str. bl. 3, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria ' National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev str. bl. 3, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria

Abstract: The air is the living environment of human beings and atmospheric composition has a great importance for the quality of life and human health. Air quality (AQ) is a key element for the well-being and quality of life of European citizens. The objective of the present work is performing reliable, comprehensive and detailed studies of the impact of lower atmosphere composition on quality of life for the population in Bulgaria. The AQ study is based on atmospheric composition numerical simulations. United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Models-3 system was applied as the tool for 3D simulations. The AQ index (AQI) provides an integrated assessment of the impact of air pollutants on human health and is calculated on the basis of the air pollutant concentration obtained from numerical modelling. A comprehensive ensemble of atmospheric composition fields was created and diurnal variations of the recurrence spatial distribution of different classes of the AQI are demonstrated in the present work.

Keywords: air quality; ensemble of numerical simulation; air quality indices; quality of life; health risks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2018.099145

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2018 Vol.64 No.1/2/3, pp.35 - 46

Received: 24 Jan 2018
Accepted: 29 Sep 2018
Published online: 16 Apr 2019 *

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