In this study, air concentrations of BaP in two different seasons (winter 2015 and summer 2016) and BaP levels in ground vegetation from Tarragona County were used as control simulations performed with the WRF-CHIMERE air quality modelling system, in order to reproduce the incidence of that hazardous chemical in air and soils. The CTM was validated for the present climatology, showing a good ability to represent air and soil concentrations of BaP over the target domain (petrochemical, chemical, urban and background sites), particularly in the wither. Then, the variation of the BaP concentrations in air and soils were simulated for the time series 1996-2015 and for the climate change scenario RCP8.5 (2031-2050). While an increase is projected for the levels in air, particularly in chemical and remote silos where the variation can go up to 10%, in terms of soil deposition the findings are the opposite, with an evident decrease in soil BaP concentrations, particularly for background sites. Finally, a potential health effect of BaP for the local population (lung cancer) was assessed. Although according to the projections the EU threshold for BaP atmospheric incidence (1 ng m(-3)) will not be reached by 2050, there will be an increase in the life-time risk of lung cancer, particularly in the most populated areas within the simulation domain. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1.Univ Rovira & Virgili, Sch Med, IISPV, Lab Toxicol & Environm Hlth, St Llorenc 21, E-43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain 2.Univ Rovira & Virgili, Dept Engn Quim, Environm Engn Lab, Av Paisos Catalans 26, E-43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain 3.Univ Porto, Fac Engn, LEPABE Lab Proc Engn Environm Biotechnol & Energy, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, P-4200465 Porto, Portugal 4.Univ Barcelona, Fac Pharm, Lab Soil Sci, Avd Joan XXIII S-N, E-08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain 5.Univ Murcia, Phys Earth, Reg Campus Int Excellence, Campus Mare Nostrum, Campus Espinardo, E-30100 Murcia, Spain 6.Biomed Res Inst Murcia IMIB Arrixaca, Murcia 30120, Spain
Recommended Citation:
Dominguez-Morueco, Noelia,Ratola, Nuno,Sierra, Jordi,et al. Combining monitoring and modelling approaches for BaP characterization over a petrochemical area[J]. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT,2019-01-01,658:424-438