Title: Lisbon air quality: evaluating traffic hot-spots

Authors: Abel Martins, Mario Cerqueira, Francisco Ferreira, Carlos Borrego, Jorge H. Amorim

Addresses: Campus da Caparica Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Department of Sciences and Environmental Engineering, New University of Lisbon, 2829 – 516 Caparica, Portugal. ' CESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810 – 193 Aveiro, Portugal. ' Campus da Caparica Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Department of Sciences and Environmental Engineering, New University of Lisbon, 2829 – 516 Caparica, Portugal. ' CESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810 – 193 Aveiro, Portugal. ' CESAM and Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810 – 193 Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract: This paper presents an air quality study in an urban traffic hot-spot in Lisbon, Portugal, by comparing the atmospheric pollutant concentrations obtained by a numerical model with measured values. Results indicate that the mean variation of particle and gaseous concentrations followed the traffic flow rate, evidencing the occurrence of PM10 concentrations greater than the respective air quality limit. SO2 and CO results fulfil the national legislation. The performed simulations showed that current methodologies for PM10 dispersion modelling allow to obtain acceptable results on air quality assessment within complex urban areas.

Keywords: air quality; CFD model; particulate matter; road traffic emissions; air pollution; environmental pollution; computational fluid dynamics; Portugal; Lisbon; dispersion models; modelling; urban areas.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2009.028693

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2009 Vol.39 No.3/4, pp.306 - 320

Published online: 23 Sep 2009 *

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