Estimation of pollution dispersion patterns of a power plant plume in complex terrain

Abstract

This study aims to identify the pollutant dispersion patterns in complex terrain under various meteorological conditions. The study area is situated at Chania plain on the island of Crete, Greece, where the topography is fairly complex. Thus, the local meteorology is expected to be deeply affected by this complex morphology. The main source of air pollution in the region is a diesel power generating plant. The daily averaged ground level distributions of sulfur dioxide, emitted from the power plant, were predicted using the AERMOD modeling system. In order to assess the meteorological conditions in the wider region, a meteorological monitoring network with six stations was installed and operated for two years. A detailed spatial and temporal analysis of the meteorological parameters is performed in order to determine their ability to characterize the transport and dispersion conditions in the area of concern. The model was applied for days with well established wind flows and the case studies indicate that such a model is capable of predicting the general pattern of ground-level concentrations of sulphur dioxide in the area of the power plant.