An atmospheric stability index based on radon progeny measurements for the evaluation of primary urban pollution |
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| Institution: | 1. Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA 23529 USA;2. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton VA 23681-2199 USA;3. NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77004 USA;1. Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy;2. C.N.R. Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria, Km 29,300, Monterotondo St., Rome 00015, Italy;3. Department of Bioscience and Territory, University of Molise, Pesche (IS), 86090, Italy;4. Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P. le Aldo Moro, 5, Rome 00185, Italy;5. ARPA Lazio, Regional Environmental Protection Agency, Via Boncompagni 101, Rome 00187, Italy;1. Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Bologna, BO 40126, Italy;2. Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi”, University of Bologna, Bologna, BO 40126, Italy;3. Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis (IMAA), Italian National Research Council (CNR), Tito Scalo, PZ 85050, Italy;4. University of Basilicata, School of Engineering, C. da Macchia Romana, 85100 Potenza, Italy |
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| Abstract: | An atmospheric stability index for the evaluation of urban primary pollution, based on the elaboration of natural radioactivity data yielded by a stability monitor, has been developed. The instrument determines the atmospheric concentration of the short-lived decay products of radon, whose emanation rate can be assumed to be constant in the time and space scale of observation. The index gives information about the dilution properties of the lower boundary layer and allows to highlight the relevant role of the dilution factor in determining primary pollution events.The atmospheric stability indices have been calculated during a 1-yr study carried out in the urban area of Rome (October 1999–September 2000). On the basis of the index, every day of the period has been classified in terms of intensity of a potential primary pollution event. The comparison between this classification and the real concentration value of primary pollutants, measured in the background urban station of Rome, yielded very good results. This shows that the index constitutes a powerful and valuable tool for describing primary pollution events in urban areas and confirms that the role played by the mixing properties of the lower boundary layer is essential in determining primary pollution in urban areas. |
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