New tools for assessing personal exposure near urban air pollution hotspots

During the last decade, researchers and policy makers have focused on the development and deployment of air pollution mitigation measures invoking solutions based on technology transfer. This term encompasses the synthesis of air quality monitoring, primarily by networks of inexpensive sensors, remote sensing and numerical modelling, as tools for supporting policy makers and disseminating air quality information to the citizens. It has been recognised that localised concentration maxima developing around traffic sources represent an exposure contribution of major epidemiological significance. The ability, therefore, of an integrated air quality management system to reliably assess personal exposure heavily depends on the consistent numerical treatment of multiscale interactions which determine the flow and dispersion structures in these fine spatial scales. Moreover, it is important to incorporate innovative methodologies for enhancing the stability and error-resilience of the sensor networks themselves. The approach presented in this work focuses on the utilisation of latest developments both in sensor technology and numerical air quality modelling, so as to provide end products able to support regulatory assessment and environmental information services. ... mehrA peer-to-peer network of air quality measuring devices is deployed in six urban areas in the Balkan region in order to provide real time air quality data over areas of high population and emissions density. The coupled mesoscale modelling system MEMO/ MARS-aero and the mesomicro MEMICO two-way coupling methodology implement the physical modelling core of the system in the respective spatial scales. These modelling tools are used to estimate, integrate and complement the sensor data on pollutant levels in predictions of high temporal and spatial resolution in order to highlight pollution hot spots. In the case of fine particulate matter, special adaptations are incorporated in the emissions and chemical transformation treatment in order to provide consistent number concentration fields, which constitute the most relevant exposure metric.