Title: Air-quality impact of PM10 emission in urban centres

Authors: S. Enrique Puliafito; Fernando Castro; David Allende

Addresses: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Grupo Estudios Atmosféricos y Ambientales, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Rodríguez 273, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina. ' Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Grupo Estudios Atmosféricos y Ambientales, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Rodríguez 273, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina. ' Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Grupo Estudios Atmosféricos y Ambientales, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Rodríguez 273, 5500, Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract: This paper calculates a detailed inventory of PM10 emissions in the urban area of Mendoza, Argentina, and evaluates the impact of such emissions by using the CALPUFF dispersion program. It includes direct and indirect emissions from mobile sources; emissions from industrial sources and fugitive emissions from unpaved road and dust production from bare land. The main results show the relevance of indirect vehicular particulate emissions owing to resuspension, which contributes 37% of the emissions compared with 21% from exhaust emissions. Heavy-duty diesel freight and bus transport are the main sources for PM10 emissions, despite their low contribution to the fleet composition.

Keywords: environmental pollution; urban centres; air quality; PM10 emissions inventory; indirect dust resuspension; Mendoza; Argentina; air pollution; vehicle emissions; particulate emissions; exhaust emissions; diesel freight transport; buses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2011.045476

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2011 Vol.46 No.3/4, pp.127 - 143

Received: 01 Mar 2010
Accepted: 20 Sep 2010

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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