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Regional and urban scale modelling of particulate matter: Can PM10 be managed at a local level?

Chatterton, Tim

Authors



Abstract

In March 1997, the British government launched the United Kingdom National Air
Quality Strategy. The Strategy sought to reduce levels of PM10 in the UK so that the
objective of 50µg/m3
, measured as a daily maximum of running 24-hour means, was
exceeded on no more than four days per year. Within three years this objective had
been relaxed to allow for thirty five exceedences per year, albeit of a slightly lower
level (because of changes in measurement technique), due to concerns that longrange
transport of secondary particles would prevent local authorities from achieving
this objective through local air quality management techniques.
The study presented in this thesis seeks to contribute to the current body of work
examining this issue. Two models, one at a regional/European scale, the other at an
urban scale, have been used to estimate contributions to atmospheric PM10 levels
from various sources. The results of the models, both independently and combined,
have been used alongside relevant monitoring data to assess effect that local
management techniques might have upon levels of PM10 in both urban and rural
locations.
The results suggest that, in many locations where the original air quality objective
may not have been achieved, local emissions of primary combustion related sources
may not have contributed more than 10-15% of total observed PM10 levels. This
raises questions regarding exactly what the nature of the remaining portion of PM10 is
comprised of, as current modelling techniques are unable to estimate this accurately:
either due to an inability to represent the physics and chemistry, or due to lack of
information about the sources. However, in the absence of a full understanding of
either the composition or health effects of PM10, what factors should be considered
in deciding whether or not local management strategies should be applied to the
pollutant?

Citation

Chatterton, T. Regional and urban scale modelling of particulate matter: Can PM10 be managed at a local level?. (Thesis). University of East Anglia. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1086319

Thesis Type Thesis
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Keywords air quality, particulate matter, PM, local authority, LAQM, modelling
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1086319