The dispersion of the Buncefield oil fire plume: An extreme accident without air quality consequences

The dispersion of pollutants from the huge Buncefield oil depot fire that occurred on 11 December 2005 is simulated using a regional Eulerian chemistry-transport model. We analyse the transport and mixing of the fire plume. We show that the hot plume never reached the ground. Instead, it pierced the thin wintertime boundary layer and was injected into the free troposphere at higher altitudes. This is in agreement with data from many air quality stations. This high injection was fortunate because the fine aerosol particles (PM₁₀) mass column generated by the fire smoke exceeded that of ordinary pollution by an order of magnitude. Our regional chemistry-transport modelling is able to predict the early development of the plume dispersion, as shown by a qualitative comparison between simulated PM₁₀ columns and a satellite image obtained by the EOS-TERRA-MODIS sensor.If the accident had occurred in summer when boundary layers are much deeper and convective, a severe degradation in air quality due to PM₁₀ could have occurred, as shown by a sensitivity simulation assuming a similar fire during one of the hottest days of August 2003. The modelled impact of the fire on regional and European air quality levels strongly depends on the altitude reached by the buoyant plume, as shown by a set of sensitivity simulations with variable injection heights. However, in all cases we found that the fire only affected surface aerosol concentrations without increasing photochemical pollution.     

垃圾渗滤液污染羽中的最终电子受体作用研究

通过土柱模拟实验研究了最终电子受体和TOC在垃圾渗滤液污染羽各氧化还原带中的变化规律,并建立了相应的模型.结果表明,各种还原产物出现峰值的时间和相应的最终电子受体利用最终电子的能力有一定的关系,利用电子能力强的最终电子受体其还原产物出现急剧升高的时间较早,如NO-2出现峰值的时间比Fe2 早;TOC的浓度在产甲烷带、硫酸盐还原带、铁还原带、硝酸盐还原带和氧还原带中不断增加,增加速率分别为8.27、8.56、8.85、9.06和9.11 mg/(L·h).不同种类的微生物降解污染物的速度受最终电子受体的多少和有效性的限制,其反应速度和最终电子受体利用最终电子的能力大小相一致,也就是说,利用最终电子能力越强的最终电子受体越容易被微生物利用、消耗,对污染的反应也就越灵敏.     

Assessment of column aerosol optical properties using ground-based sun-photometer at urban Harbin, Northeast China

Aerosol plays a key role in determining radiative balance, regional climate and human health. Severe air pollution over Northeast China in recent years urges more comprehensive studies to figure out the adverse effects caused by excessive aerosols. In this study, column aerosol measurements over urban Harbin, a metropolis located at the highest latitude in Northeast China, during May 2016 to March 2017 were conducted using a CIMEL sun-photometer to analyze local aerosol properties and its variation from different aspects. According to the observations, aerosol optical depth at 440 nm (AOD₄₄₀) ranges from 0.07 up to 1.54, and the large variability in both AOD₄₄₀ and Angstrom Exponent (AE_440–870) indicates the frequent change of aerosol types due of different emission sources. Coarse mode particles dominated Harbin during the studying period because of the long-range transported dust and probably the suspended snow crystals in winter. As the wavelength increases, relatively consistent decrease trends of single scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry factor (ASY) were observed in spring, autumn, and winter, indicating the presence of absorbing polluted aerosols. Mixed type (MIX) aerosol dominated the study region with a total percentage of 34%, and biomass burning and urban industry (BB/UI), clean continental (CC), and desert dust (DD) aerosols were found to be 31%, 27%, and 8%, respectively. The current work fills up the optical characteristics of aerosols in Harbin, and will contribute to the in-depth understanding of local aerosol variation and regional climate change over Northeast China.     

Integration of Flow and Chemical Sensing for Guidance of Autonomous Marine Robots in Turbulent Flows

We explored the utility of odor-gated rheotaxis (OGR) with a biomimetic robot. OGR is a widely accepted biological plume-tracing strategy that uses mean flow and chemical detection for guidance. In experiments which contrasted the `classic' single-sensor formulation of the strategy against one which used two sensors and against another which combined the use of two sensors and memory of past stimulation patterns we quantified the relative advantages of each. The use of two, spatially separated, chemical sensors confers a significant advantage and still greater performance is obtained with rudimentary memory. The performance of the American lobster under the same turbulent dispersal regime leads us to conclude that significantly more effective plume tracing strategies remain to be discovered.     

Filament-Based Atmospheric Dispersion Model to Achieve Short Time-Scale Structure of Odor Plumes

This article presents the theoretical motivation, implementation approach, and example validation results for a computationally efficient plume simulation model, designed to replicate both the short-term time signature and long-term exposure statistics of a chemical plume evolving in a turbulent flow. Within the resulting plume, the odor concentration is intermittent with rapidly changing spatial gradient. The model includes a wind field defined over the region of interest that is continuous, but which varies with location and time in both magnitude and direction. The plume shape takes a time varying sinuous form that is determined by the integrated effect of the wind field. Simulated and field data are compared. The motivation for the development of such a simulation model was the desire to evaluate various strategies for tracing odor plumes to their source, under identical conditions. The performance of such strategies depends in part on the instantaneous response of target receptors; therefore, the sequence of events is of considerable consequence and individual exemplar plume realizations are required. Due to the high number of required simulations, computational efficiency was critically important.     

华北山区大气气溶胶浓度及其尺度谱分布的研究

1980年3月,我们在北京北部山区,用光学粒子计数器观测了“干净”地区近地层大气气溶胶浓度与尺度谱分布。发现“有霾”大气气溶胶的浓度及其尺度谱分布的变化特征具有特殊性。计算表明,三参数谱模式的拟合效果较好。     

An intensive study on aerosol optical properties and affecting factors in Nanjing, China

The optical properties of aerosol as well as their impacting factors were investigated at a suburb site in Nanjing during autumn from 14 to 28 November 2012. More severe pollution was found together with lower visibility. The average scattering and absorption coefficients(B sca and B abs) were 375.7 ± 209.5 and 41.6 ± 18.7 Mm~(-1), respectively. Higher ?ngstr?m absorption and scattering exponents were attributed to the presence of more aged aerosol with smaller particles. Relative humidity(RH) was a key factor affecting aerosol extinction. High RH resulted in the impairment of visibility, with hygroscopic growth being independent of the dry extinction coefficient. The hygroscopic growth factor was 1.8 ± 1.2 with RH from 19% to 85%.Light absorption was enhanced by organic carbon(OC), elemental carbon(EC) and EC coatings,with contributions of 26%, 44% and 75%(532 nm), respectively. The B sca and B abs increased with increasing N_(100)(number concentration of PM_(2.5)with diameter above 100 nm), PM_1 surface concentration and PM_(2.5)mass concentration with good correlation.     

Evaluation of a long-range lagrangian dispersion model with ETEX

Performance of a Lagrangian dispersion model was examined in connection with its dependency on the boundary layer modelling and the input data resolution. The European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) data were used as reference. According to the sensitivity analysis of the model performance, the long-range dispersion model with the sparse input data was not noticeably different from that with the finer resolution data. The assumption of the prescribed constant mixing depth did not largely degrade the prediction results as compared with the simulation results with the temporally changing boundary layer. It is, therefore, concluded that the model is practical, considering the limited input data in the operational mode. However, it was also pointed out that the parameterization for the horizontal and vertical diffusion processes used in the present model enhanced the growth of plume. The improvement of input data resolution in time and space caused further dispersion of tracer deterministically. These resulted in the underestimation of the maximum concentration and the unfocussed concentration distribution map although the mean concentration was predicted fairly well.     

Methane Emission Estimates from Landfills Obtained with Dynamic Plume Measurements

Methane emissions from 3 different landfills inthe Netherlands were estimated using a mobileTuneable Diode Laser system (TDL). The methaneconcentration in the cross section of the plumeis measured downwind of the source on a transectperpendicular to the wind direction. A gaussianplume model was used to simulate theconcentration levels at the transect. Theemission from the source is calculated from themeasured and modelled concentration levels.Calibration of the plume dispersion model isdone using a tracer (N₂O) that is releasedfrom the landfill and measured simultaneouslywith the TDL system. The emission estimates forthe different locations ranged from 3.6 to 16 m³ ha^-1 hr^-1 for the differentsites. The emission levels were compared toemission estimates based on the landfill gasproduction models. This comparison suggestsoxidation rates that are up to 50% in springand negligible in November. At one of the threesites measurements were performed in campaignsin 3 consecutive years. Comparison of theemission levels in the first and second yearshowed a reduction of the methane emission ofabout 50% due to implementation of a gasextraction system. From the second to the thirdyear emissions increased by a factor of 4 due tonew landfilling. Furthermore measurements wereperformed in winter when oxidation efficiencywas reduced. This paper describes themeasurement technique used, and discusses theresults of the experimental sessions that were performed.     

怠速条件下汽车排气污染物在排气尾流中扩散特性的实验研究

通过实验的方法对怠速条件下汽车排气污染物在排气尾流中的扩散特性进行了研究.测定了怠速条件下汽车排气尾流中的污染物体积分数及其分布,并比较分析了3种不同类型汽车的污染物排放体积分数及其变化.实验结果表明,怠速时汽车排气尾流中的污染物体积分数按照近似指数函数的趋势迅速降低到接近大气背景值;不同类型汽车排气尾流中的污染物体积分数的差别非常明显;排气方向对汽车排放污染物的扩散及其分布具有重要的影响.研究工作可以为怠速工况下汽车排气污染物对周围环境的影响评价提供更多的有用信息.