Desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta de software para apoiar a modelagem de dispersão atmosférica do sistema AERMOD

Abstract

Air pollution causes damage to the environment and is one of the greatest environmental health risks. In order to know the origin of pollutant emissions, it is necessary to obtain inventoried information on emission sources that can be used in models to assess the air quality of a given region. Simulations can be carried out using the AERMOD system, a regulatory Gaussian atmospheric dispersion model recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency. However, preparing the files to feed the modeling system isn’t a trivial task, it’s prone to errors and requires great attention from professionals. Sometimes, due to the difficulty in obtaining data from different sources, the formats required by the model and the lack of a free, functional tool, environmental professionals end up paying third parties to supply them. With this in mind, this work aims to develop free software to automate the generation of input files for the AERMOD modeling system, thus contributing to professionals and/or researchers in the field. To evaluate the files resulting from the proposed software, the BREEZE AERMOD/ISC software was used as a reference. The simulations were carried out using an emissions inventory obtained from IBAMA, for the period 2019 to 2021, for the pollutants PM10, CO, NOx and specific data for each emission source in the city and region of Toledo-PR. The study resulted in valid software with a user-friendly interface, where those involved can create their input files for each processing stage, facilitating effective execution of the dispersion model. By means of contour maps and numerical validation of the data set for each pollutant and period, the study showed the equivalence or similarity of the proposed software compared to the reference software. The research results could help universities and researchers in the environmental field by reducing the costs of using proprietary software and encouraging new studies on improving air quality.