Journal of Environmental Management (1987) 24, 17-28

Katalin E. Fekete and Dezső J. Szepesi:

Simulation of Atmospheric Acid Deposition on a Regional Scale

Extended summary

A regional scale operational model for the simulation of air and precipitation quality is presented. The aim of the simulation is to determine, quantitatively, the complex effects of the following: source strength of sulphur and nitrogen oxides (Figure 1.), effective height of the source, wind pattern in the transport layer, mixed layer height, precipitation, transformation, wet and dry deposition, and hemispheric background values of air (Table 1.) and precipitation quality.

Figure 1.
Sector zones for which average emission densities were determined

Table 1.
Hemispheric background for sulphur and nitrogen compounds for Europe

The model presents a regional scale territorial distribution of sulphur dioxide (Figure 2.), nitrogen dioxide, particulate sulphate and nitrate, nitric acid gas and precipitation sulphate and nitrate. The total deposition is also expressed as maximal atmospheric acid stress.

Figure 2.
Annual average sulphur dioxide concentrations (microgram S/cubic m) in the ambient air originating from domestic area sources (a), domestic tall stacks (b), and foreign sources (c), 1978-82

The first-generation model estimates annual average concentrations and depositions, and it is validated by 5 years of data from Regional Background Pollution Station in Hungary (Table 2.).

Table 2.
Estimated and measured annual average concentration and deposition values for the Regional Background Pollution Station at K-puszta (1978-82)