EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF TRAFFIC AND HEATING REDUCTION MEASURES ON URBAN AIR-QUALITY

A method is described that enables the user to evaluate the effects on urban air quality of reduction measures imposed on vehicular traffic and operation of building heating systems. The method involves the use of mathematical models for the calculation of urban pollutant (CO and NOx) emissions and concentrations. The models for the calculation of emissions from traffic sources and from distributed heating furnaces a re based on a detailed inventory of the sources and their characterist ics, and calculate the area emissions (mass of pollutant emitted per u nit area) over the territory of interest. The dispersion models used f or the calculation of pollutant concentrations at selected receptor po ints are modified versions of the EPA APRAC3 and ISC-ST models. A numb er of possible traffic and healing reduction scenarios for the Milan u rban area are discussed as applications of the method.