Evaluation of AERMOD and CALPUFF for predicting ambient concentrations of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) emissions from a quarry in complex terrain.

Concentrations of particulate emissions from a quarry located in hilly terrain were calculated by two common atmospheric dispersion models, AERMOD and CALPUFF. Evaluation of these models for emissions from quarries/open pit mines that are located in complex topography is missing from the literature. Due to severe uncertainties in the input parameters, numerous scenarios were simulated and model sensitivity was studied. Model results were compared among themselves, and to measured total suspended particulate (TSP). For a wide range of meteorological and topographical conditions studied, AERMOD predictions were in a better agreement with the measurements than those obtained by CALPUFF. The use of AERMOD's "Open pit" tool seems unnecessary when accurate digital topographic data are available. Onsite meteorological data are shown to be crucial for reliable dispersion calculations in complex terrain.

[1]  Mark R. Theobald,et al.  An intercomparison of models used to simulate the short-range atmospheric dispersion of agricultural ammonia emissions , 2012, Environ. Model. Softw..

[2]  J. Weeks,et al.  Metal and non-metal miners' exposure to crystalline silica, 1998-2002. , 2006, American journal of industrial medicine.

[3]  U. Dayan,et al.  Mineralogical and chemical characterization of suspended atmospheric particles over the east Mediterranean based on synoptic-scale circulation patterns , 2009 .

[4]  Martha Nyambali Neshuku.  Comparison of the performance of two atmospheric dispersion models (AERMOD and ADMS) for open pit mining sources of air pollution , 2012 .

[5]  Comparison of Aermod and ISCST3 Models for Particulate Emissions from Ground Level Sources , 2010 .

[6]  Eileen E. Hofmann,et al.  Evaluation and derivation of cloud-cover algorithms for calculation of surface irradiance in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic environments , 2005, Antarctic Science.

[7]  David A. Seal,et al.  The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission , 2007 .

[8]  Brian Kaplan,et al.  Hydrogen cyanide in ambient air near a gold heap leach field: Measured vs. modeled concentrations , 2006 .

[9]  O. Olusegun,et al.  Impact of Granite Quarrying on the Health of Workers and Nearby Residents in Abeokuta Ogun State, Nigeria , 2009 .

[10]  D. Proctor,et al.  Soil Suspension/Dispersion Modeling Methods for Estimating Health-Based Soil Cleanup Levels of Hexavalent Chromium at Chromite Ore Processing Residue Sites , 2008, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association.

[11]  Calvin B. Parnell,et al.  Comparison of CALPUFF and ISCST3 models for predicting downwind odor and source emission rates , 2006 .

[12]  Gerhard Czeplak,et al.  Solar and terrestrial radiation dependent on the amount and type of cloud , 1980 .