References

ACPD

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions

ACPD

1680-7375

Copernicus GmbH

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/acpd-9-2081-2009

Spatial variation of modelled and measured NO, NO2 and O3 concentrations in the polluted urban landscape – relation to meteorology during the Göte-2005 campaign

Klingberg

¹ Tang

² Chen

² Pihl Karlsson

³ Bäck

⁴ Pleijel

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 461, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 460, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden

Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL), P.O. Box 5302, 400 14 Gothenburg, Sweden

City of Gothenburg, Environmental Administration, Karl Johansgatan 23, 414 59 Gothenburg, Sweden

22 01 2009

9 1 2081 2111

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Knowledge about temporal and spatial variations of the O3 and NOx relationship in the urban environment are necessary to assess the exceedance of air quality standards for NO2. Both reliable measurements and validated high-resolution air quality models are important to assess the effect of traffic emission on air quality. In this study, measurements of NO, NO2 and O3 concentrations were performed in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the Göte-2005 campaign in February 2005. The aim was to evaluate the variation of pollutant concentrations in the urban landscape in relation to urban air quality monitoring stations and wind speed. A brief description of the meteorological conditions and the air pollution situation during the Göte-2005 campaign was also given. Furthermore, the Air Pollution Model (TAPM) was used to simulate the NOx-regime close to an urban traffic route and the simulations were compared to the measurements. Important conclusions were that the pollutant concentrations varied substantially in the urban landscape and the permanent monitoring stations were not fully representative for the most polluted environments. As expected, wind speed strongly influenced measured pollutant concentrations and gradients. Higher wind speeds dilute NO2 due to stronger dispersion; while at the same time vertical transport of O3 is enhanced, which produces NO2 through oxidation of NO. The oxidation effect was predominant at the more polluted sites, while the dilution effect was more important at the less polluted sites. TAPM reproduced the temporal variability in pollutant concentrations satisfactorily, but was not able to resolve the situation at the most polluted site, due to the local scale site-specific conditions.

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