Abstract
A peak in the ambient ozone concentration was observed at three of the six ambient air quality monitoring stations in the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area on the second of June 2013. The ozone peak was associated with elevated concentrations of particulate matter, including PM10, PM2.5 and black carbon, but not sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide nor benzene. Back trajectory analysis using Hysplit showed that the air masses containing the high levels of ozone passed over areas influenced by coal fired power stations in the Waterberg, metal processing in the Bojanala region and high intensity fires 30km to 50km upwind of the stations.
Highlights
Three Rivers and Kliprivier, which did not experience the period of elevated ozone concentration, had maximum concentrations of 51 ppb and 32 ppb at 14:00 and 14:30, respectively (Figure 3)
It is expected that if the source of the ozone precursors responsible for the formation of the ozone peak observed at the Sharpeville, Sebokeng and Zamdela stations was due to industrial activity such as the combustion of coal or the processing of sulphate rich minerals, the peak in ozone concentration would be associated with increases in the concentrations of SO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx)
The management of ambient air quality in complex environments such as the Vaal Triangle can be difficult; this is especially true for secondary pollutants such as ozone, which are formed through the interaction of numerous chemical precursors and the environmental conditions
Summary
It is involved in the production of photochemical smog, over metropolitan areas and has a negative impact on crop productivity (Chameides et al, 1992). In the presence of nitrogen oxides (NOx) ozone may be produced through the photochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide (CO) (Chameides et al, 1992; Seinfeld & Pandis, 2006). For this reaction to occur the presence of NOx, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) or CO and solar radiation is required (Chameides et al, 1992; Crutzen & Lelieveld, 2001)
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