Modelling concentration heterogeneities in streets using the street-network model MUNICH

Abstract

Populations in urban areas are exposed to high local concentrations of pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, because of unfavourable dispersion conditions and the proximity to traffic. To simulate these concentrations over cities, models like the street-network model MUNICH (Model of Urban Network of Intersecting Canyons and Highways) rely on parameterizations to represent the air flow and the concentrations of pollutants in streets. In the current version, MUNICH v2.0, concentrations are assumed to be homogeneous in each street segment. A new version of MUNICH, where the street volume is discretized, is developed to represent the street gradients and to better estimate peoples' exposure. Three vertical levels are defined in each street segment. A horizontal discretization is also introduced under specific conditions by considering two zones with a parameterization taken from the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM). Simulations are performed over two districts of Copenhagen, Denmark, and one district of greater Paris, France. Results show an improvement in the comparison to observations, with higher concentrations at the bottom of the street, closer to traffic, of pollutants emitted by traffic (NOx, black carbon, organic matter). These increases reach up to 60 % for NO2 and 30 % for PM10 in comparison to MUNICH v2.0. The aspect ratio (ratio between building height and street width) influences the extent of the increase of the first-level concentrations compared to the average of the street. The increase is higher for wide streets (low aspect ratio and often higher traffic) by up to 53 % for NOx and 18 % for PM10. Finally, a sensitivity analysis with regard to the influence of the street network highlights the importance of using the model MUNICH with a network rather than with a single street.