With growing populations, increasing urbanisation, the need for industry, and natural events such as dust & lightning storms, volcanic activity, and bush fires, air quality is a key challenge for government, regulatory and health authorities, industry, and communities throughout the world.
Anthropogenic emissions to air often require an assessment of their potential to cause environmental harm, environmental nuisance, or interference with an environmental value or sensitive land use.
The use of air dispersion modelling to quantify the predicted pollutant impact for a wide variety of emission sources and associated pollutants is often a key part of the environmental assessment process and generally involves the following:
- Develop an emissions inventory. Using site-specific emissions monitoring or by using emissions estimation factors such as the national pollutant inventory (NPI), U.S. EPA AP-42, COPERT and PIARC.
- Develop a meteorological file. Using at least one year’s worth of site specific or site representative weather data. If this is not available, then this may be prognostically generated using TAPM or WRF.
- Conduct dispersion modelling. Using dispersion models such as AERMOD which is a gaussian plume enhanced steady state model. Other models such as CALPUFF, GRAL, CalRoads, and AUSROADS can also be used as appropriate.
As part of an air quality assessment, GHD offers a range of client services including:
- Development of static or variable emission inventories.
- Development of meteorological files.
- Dispersion modelling.
- Risk assessments.
- Air quality and dust management plans.
- Ambient air quality monitoring (pumped, passive, real-time, telemetered).
- Odour surveillance programs.
- Adverse Amenity Assessments, Link.
- Meteorological measurement & assessment, Link.
- Peer review.
- Expert witness.
- Licence compliance (incl. Pollution Abatement Notices).
The above assessments will often form part of:
- Environmental impact assessments (EIA).
- Environmental impact statements (EIS).
- Environmental effects statements (EES).
- Works approval applications (WA).
- Planning permit applications.
- Development proposal and environmental management plans (DPEMP).
- Development applications (DA).
- Pollution abatement notice requirements (PAN).
GHD has delivered a range of air quality assessments including projects for:
- Construction dust & vehicle emissions.
- Wastewater.
- Quarries & mining.
- Road & rail.
- Aviation.
- Shipping & port facilities.
- Power generation.
- Petroleum refineries.
- Industrial facilities.
- Waste to Energy (WtE).
- Landfill (odour/dust/gases).
- Intensive animal industry.
Please also refer to our Air Quality Capability Statement link.
