EGU23-13342
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13342
EGU General Assembly 2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Estimating the effect of roadside barriers in reducing PMs concentration with  PALM - 4U

Daiane Brondani1, Umberto Giostra1, and Luca Mortarini2
Daiane Brondani et al.
  • 1Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy (umberto.giostra@uniurb.it)
  • 2Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Turin, Italy (l.mortarini@isac.cnr.it)

Air pollution from traffic is one of the leading causes of disease and premature death, potentially affecting all human body organs, depending on exposure to polluting sources. Among the main harmful agents to human health are fine particulate materials (PMs), such as PM 10 μm, PM 2.5 μmand PM 1 μm. The finest particulates, like PM 2.5 μm and PM 1 μm, are easily inhaled, causing respiratory problems such as irritation in the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing, worsening asthma, developing chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat, non-fatal heart attacks, premature death in people with heart disease, decreased lung function, contributing to the developing lung cancer. 

In addition, transported by the wind and then deposited in soil or water, the fine particulate contributes to the alteration of their acidity and nutrients, causing damage to forests and agricultural plantations. 

The present study investigates the ability of non-porous (concrete, glass) and porous (vegetation) barriers to attenuate the dispersion of fine particulate from roadway traffic. Large Eddy Simulations combined with observational data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the different barriers in reducing the particulate concentration downwind from the roadway. Different types of barriers, different distances between the road and the barrier, and different barrier heights are simulated with PALM - 4U. The simulated concentration fields are compared to the Marche Region (Italy) measurements.

How to cite: Brondani, D., Giostra, U., and Mortarini, L.: Estimating the effect of roadside barriers in reducing PMs concentration with  PALM - 4U, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-13342, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-13342, 2023.