Sea Port SO2 atmospheric emissions influence on air quality and exposure at Veracruz, Mexico

In this work, we identify the current atmospheric sulfur dioxide emissions of the Veracruz port, an important Mexican seaport experiencing rapid growth, and its influence on the surrounding areas. Sulfur dioxide emissions based on port activity, as well as meteorology and air quality simulations, ar...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fuentes García, Gilberto, Sosa Echeverría, Rodolfo, García Reynoso, Agustín, Baldasano Recio, José María|||0000-0002-6191-635X, Magaña Rueda, Víctor, Retama Hernández, Armando, Kahl, Jonathan D.W
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/379235
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/379235
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/atmos13121950
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Air -- Pollution
Air quality
Sulfur dioxide
Air quality modeling
Coastal area
Impact on air quality
Atmospheric emissions
Air pollution
Fuel consumption
Sulfur content in marine fuel
Aire -- Contaminació
Aire -- Qualitat
Diòxid de sofre
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Desenvolupament humà i sostenible::Degradació ambiental::Contaminació atmosfèrica
Descripción
Sumario:In this work, we identify the current atmospheric sulfur dioxide emissions of the Veracruz port, an important Mexican seaport experiencing rapid growth, and its influence on the surrounding areas. Sulfur dioxide emissions based on port activity, as well as meteorology and air quality simulations, are used to assess the impact. It was found that using marine fuel with low sulfur content reduces emissions by 88%. Atmospheric emission estimates based on the bottom-up methodology range from 3 to 7 Mg/year and can negatively impact air quality up to 3 km downwind. After evaluating different characteristics of vessels in CALPUFF, it was found that maximum sulfur dioxide concentrations ranging between 50 and 88 µg/m3 for a 24-h average occurred 500 m from the port. During 2019, five days had unsatisfactory air quality. The combination of a shallow planetary boundary layer, low wind speed, and large atmospheric emissions significantly degraded local air quality.