Adaptation of the BOXURB model in a southeastern European environment: the case of Athens

The present work describes the adaptation and application of an operational air quality forecast model in a net grid of (1 x 1) km(2) emission source resolution, covering the Greater Area of Athens, Greece. The model is used to estimate the hourly concentrations of nitrogen oxides at a receptor grid of 17 monitoring stations for the 10-year period 1995-2004. The analysis reveals that the best model performance occurs under heavy-traffic conditions, whereas in rural and industrial areas, the model performance is worse.