Validation of a numerical software for the simulation of the pollutant dispersion from traffic in a real case: Some preliminary results

An increasing attention of citizens and policy-makers is devoted to the monitoring and modelling of urban traffic-related air pollution (TRAP), as there is a demonstrated relationship among this and human health effects (e.g. circulatory and ischemic heart diseases, lung cancer, asthma onset in children and adults, and acute lower respiratory infections in children). In this work, we investigate the capability of the ENVI-met® software to reproduce the concentrations of pollutants, emitted from vehicular traffic, and the meteorological parameters, both measured by a specific monitoring station, to evaluate its potential use for the TRAP prediction. Starting from the meteorological and traffic flow data of a specific day, a number of simulations, with different configurations, have been run and the results (temporal and spatial distribution of meteorological parameters and pollutants concentrations) have been compared with the monitored data, provided by the ARPAS (Agenzia Regionale per la Protezione dell’Ambiente della Sardegna – Regional Agency for the Protection of the Sardinian Environment) and measured by the weather station and the air quality monitoring station CENCA1 in Cagliari (Italy). The results of these comparisons are encouraging and can help, among the others, in better understanding the urban traffic pollutant dispersion and in optimizing the location of the air quality monitoring stations.