Area of influence (AOI) sensitivity analysis: Application to Atlanta, Georgia

• Published in: Atmospheric environment (1994) 2007-09, Vol.41 (27), p.5605-5617
• Main Authors: Napelenok, Sergey L., Habermacher, Florian D., Akhtar, Farhan, Hu, Yongtao, Russell, Armistead G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air quality; AOI; Applied sciences; Area of influence; Atmospheric modeling; Atmospheric pollution; Direct decoupled method; Exact sciences and technology; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Sensitivity analysis
• ISSN: 1352-2310; 1873-2844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.03.006

Area of influence (AOI) analysis was applied to determine the geographical extent of the air pollutant precursors contributing to various pollutant levels in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Receptor-oriented sensitivities of ozone and particulate matter (PM) species to emissions of NO x , SO 2 , NH 3 , anthropogenic VOC, and elemental carbon were calculated for various combinations of precursor emissions during 1–10 August, 1999. The episode had high observed concentrations of ozone and PM across several days. AOIs differed significantly by day for each sensitivity as well as spatially between pollutants. Ozone sensitivities peaked at 1.0 ppb per 1.0 mole s - 1 (or per 4.0 ton day - 1 ) per 12 × 12 km 2 model grid of emissions of NO x , but averaged around 0.1 ppb over much of Atlanta. Sulfate was the major component of PM, with an average sensitivity of 0.03 μ g m - 3 per 1.0 mol s - 1 (or per 5.5 ton d - 1 ) per 12 × 12 km 2 model grid of SO 2 emissions and an average of 0.02 μ g m - 3 per 1.0 mol s - 1 per 12 × 12 km 2 of NO x emissions. Ammonia had a significant impact on PM through the formation of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. Elemental carbon had a geographically small area of influence with high values around the receptor.