Atmospheric pollutants: modeling with Aermod software

• Published in: Air quality, atmosphere and health Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 21 - 32
• Main Authors: dos Santos Cerqueira, Joaci, de Albuquerque, Helder Neves, de Assis Salviano de Sousa, Francisco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.01.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air pollution; Atmospheric models; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Carbon monoxide; Chemical compounds; Computer programs; Computer simulation; Earth and Environmental Science; Electric power generation; Environment; Environmental Health; Flora; Fossil fuels; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Industrial plant emissions; Local population; Nitrogen dioxide; Nitrogen oxides; Organic chemistry; Organic compounds; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Photochemicals; Pollutants; Pollution sources; Power plants; Software; Sulfur; Sulfur dioxide; Thermal power; Thermal power plants; Thermoelectricity; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Pollution; Human health; Environmental degradation; Environmental health
• ISSN: 1873-9318; 1873-9326
• DOI: 10.1007/s11869-018-0626-9

In the operation of thermoelectric power plants, fossil fuels are burned, generating air pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO X ), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Accordingly, the objective of this study was to simulate the dispersion of atmospheric pollutants from the Borborema S.A thermal power plant, using the Aermod View program as a tool to evaluate the concentrations resulting from the simulation and to make comparisons with allowable levels according to current law. Thus, the emission sources of chimney air pollutants of a thermal power plant in 2016 were evaluated using the Aermod View, Aermet View, and WRPLOT View software. Regarding the pollutants generated, NO x values at 1 h showed NO 2 concentration over the primary and secondary standards allowed by law, with a maximum concentration of 1680 μg/m 3 , about five times higher than the primary standard and eight times the secondary. The simulation indices for the concentrations of PM, SO x , NO x , and CO, even though they are appeared very low, except NO 2 at 1 h, it was observed that these pollutants can affect the health of the local population, fauna and flora, in view of the process of bioaccumulation, which is inherent to organisms, which directly or indirectly absorb substances or chemical compounds.