The report illustrates a research conducted using the HySPLIT chemical atmospheric transport model and the distribution of stable lights at night, to investigate the spatial patterns of atmospheric concentrations from continuous emissions spatially distributed as population. The analysis shows that a first approximation of the spatial distribution of concentrations may be obtained using the simple ¿4/3 power law¿ that Pistocchi and Galmarini, 2008, have shown to be able to approximate the plumes of annual average concentration depicted by the European model ADEPT. This finding enables to perform regional risk assessment taking into account the spatial distribution of receptors around, and not just at, the location of emissions, without the need to use complex transport numerical model, if one is interested in a first level of approximation (i.e., a factor 5 accuracy on concentrations, which is often compatible with the requirements of risk assessment). In such circumstances, the ¿4/3 power law¿ enables quick and simple back-of-the-envelope calculations, operationally equivalent to simple box model calculations.

PISTOCCHI Alberto;  ZULIAN Grazia;  ISOARDI Paolo; 

2011-11-11

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC56210

978-92-79-15063-0,   

1018-5593,   

EUR 24264 EN,    OP LB-NA-24264-EN-C,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC56210,   

10.2788/65179,