Single-Vessel Plume Dispersion Simulation: Method and a Case Study Using CALPUFF in the Yantian Port Area, Shenzhen (China).

Shubin Bai,Weichun Ma,Qi Yu,Yan Zhang,Yiming Liu,Li He,Yuanqiao Wen

doi:10.3390/ijerph17217831

Abstract

To study the impact of vessel pollution on the atmospheric environment of the surrounding area, we present a numerical simulation method based on regional emissions inventories. The general spatial resolution is ≥1 km and the temporal resolution is ≥1 h; parameters which are suitable for the study of larger space–time scales. In this paper, the WRF/CALMET/CALPUFF model and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data are employed to develop a single-vessel atmospheric pollution diffusion model. The goal of this research uses existing meteorological models and diffusion models to provide a simulation technology method for studying the diffusion of SO2 from a single ship. We take the outgoing phase of ocean-going container vessels in Yantian Port as an example. It can be used to set the position of sensitive receptors near the port area. Simulations are implemented with CALPUFF and the results are compared with data derived from on-site monitoring instrument. The CALPUFF modelling domain covers an area of 925 km2 with a grid spacing of 500 m. The simulation results demonstrated agreement with the measured data. The ground concentration contribution value ranged from 10 to 102 μg/m3, while the affected area was about 4–26 km2 and the high-value area of the ground concentration contribution was distributed within 1–2 km from the ship track. Emissions generated by the vessels represent a considerable contribution to SO2 pollution around the harbor areas.

Highlights

In recent years, maritime transport emissions have been widely considered an important source of air pollution
According to the experience of meteorological field simulation in this article, the inconsistency of the peak time was mainly due to a certain amount of deviation between the wind speed and direction simulated by WRF/CALMET and the actual situation
If the simulated wind speed was smaller than the observed wind speed, the simulated peak time could lag behind the observation; if the simulated wind speed was larger than the observed wind speed, the simulated peak time could be ahead of the observation

Summary

Introduction

Maritime transport emissions have been widely considered an important source of air pollution. Vessel emissions could have a negative influence on regional and even global air quality and may provide important contributions to local and regional pollution in areas of high vessel volume along heavily travelled courses [1]. Alexander et al, examined the impacts of PM2.5 and NOx emissions originating from vessels in San Pedro Bay, California, and the affected area was found to be within 2–6 km of the port [2]. Two studies have investigated the impact of ship plumes in the moored state on nearby residential areas in busy city ports in Sydney and showed that the relatively high sulfur content (up to 3.5%) in marine fuels led to high SO2 emissions [3]. During entry, berthing, and departure, vessel emissions mainly occur in coastal areas and are directly dispersed into the mainland, causing environmental problems affecting both ecosystems and human health [4].

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Conclusion