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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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmosphere 2022-12, Vol.13 (12), p.1950
Main Authors: Fuentes García, Gilberto, Echeverría, Rodolfo Sosa, Reynoso, Agustín García, Baldasano Recio, José María, Rueda, Víctor Magaña, Retama Hernández, Armando, Kahl, Jonathan D. W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air
Air pollution
Air quality
air quality modeling
atmospheric emissions
Boundary layers
Carbon dioxide
coastal area
Emissions
Emissions control
Engines
Fossil fuels
fuel consumption
impact on air quality
Inventory
Low wind speeds
Meteorology
Outdoor air quality
Planetary boundary layer
Pollutants
Ports
Ships
Sulfur
Sulfur content
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide emissions
Sulphur
Sulphur dioxide
Wind speed
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2073-4433
2073-4433
DOI:10.3390/atmos13121950