Insights into Beirut atmosphere: the ECOCEM project

4th CHArMEx International Workshop ICTP, Trieste October 22, 2014

* Faculty of sciences, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanoncharbel.afif@usj.edu.lb

Charbel Afif*, Antoine Waked, Thérèse Salameh, Agnès Borbon, Stéphane Sauvage, Imad El-Haddad, Paola Formenti, Jerome Brioude, Jean-François Doussin

Nadine Locoge, Christian Seigneur

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Familiar view in Lebanon

3Kanakidou et al., 2011

Satellite images

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Kouyoumdjian et Saliba, 2006

Aerosols

Previous air pollution studies

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Kouyoumdjian et Saliba, 2006

Aerosols

Beirut polluted by aerosols

May 2009 – April 2010 : PM10 : 44 – 91 µg.m-3

PM2.5 : 18 – 23 µg.m-3

Massoud et al., 2011

Previous air pollution studies

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Kouyoumdjian et Saliba, 2006

Aerosols

Beirut polluted by aerosols

May 2009 – April 2010 : PM10 : 44 – 91 µg.m-3

PM2.5 : 18 – 23 µg.m-3

Massoud et al., 2011

Previous air pollution studies

Recommended value (WHO)

Afif et al., 2009

NO2

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Kouyoumdjian et Saliba, 2006

Aerosols

Beirut polluted by aerosols

May 2009 – April 2010 : PM10 : 44 – 91 µg.m-3

PM2.5 : 18 – 23 µg.m-3

Massoud et al., 2011

Previous air pollution studies

Recommended value (WHO)

Afif et al., 2009

NO2

Annual average 2009 : 53 µg.m-3 2010 : 58 µg.m-3 MOE/UNDP/ECODIT, 2011

Beirut polluted by NO2

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SO2

Previous air pollution studies

Concentrations rather low in Beirut

However

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Afif et al., 2008

SO2

Previous air pollution studies

Long range transport impacting Beirut

Concentrations rather low in Beirut

However

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Rationale

- Scarcity of atmospheric data in this region of the world- East of the Med. basin and part of the MEA- Strong local emissions- Special topography with mountains at ~2km from the coast- Effect of LRT- Strong insulation

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Rationale

- East of the Med. basin and part of the MEA- Strong local emissions- Special topography with mountains at ~2km from the coast- Effect of LRT- Insulation- Scarcity of atmospheric data in this region of the world

Emission and Chemistry of Organic Carbon in the East Mediterranean

ECOCEM – Beirut

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better understand the atmospheric pollution in Beirut and its suburbs

ECOCEM Objective

providing valuable observations on the composition and the temporal evolution of different pollutants

identifying and quantifying the relative importance of the different pollution sources

assessing the existing knowledge between the meteorological parameters, air pollution sources and the observed concentrations

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better understand the atmospheric pollution in Beirut and its suburbs

ECOCEM Objective

providing valuable observations on the composition and the temporal evolution of different pollutants

identifying and quantifying the relative importance of the different pollution sources

assessing the existing knowledge between the meteorological parameters, air pollution sources and the observed concentrations

Measurements & Modeling

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Methodology

Field campaigns in summer and winter

Gridded Emissions inventory with a temporal

variation

Measurements & Modeling

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Summer campaign : 1 – 17 July 2011Winter campaign : 28 January – 13 February 2012

Site : Mar Roukoz (USJ campus), Faculty of sciences

Field campaigns

Beyrouth

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Measured parameters

NO/NO2/NOxOzoneCOSome aldehydes and ketonesMore than 60 VOC (GCFID, PTRMS and active tubes)

PM2.5Primary organic compoundsSecondary organic compoundsHeavy metalsInorganic coumpoundsOC/EC

Wind speed/Wind directionTemperaturePressureRelative humidityNO2 photolysis frequency

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Some VOC results

High concentrations in Beirut compared to Western cities

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Some VOC results

High concentrations in Beirut compared to Western cities

Summer

Winter

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Heures locales

toluene isopentane

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Heures locales

toluene isopentane

• Most NMHCs: summer maximum and a winter minimum

• NMHC distribution mainly driven by strong local emissions and local atmospheric dynamics, without a clear evidence of photochemical removal in summer or an influence from long range transport.

Salameh et al., Env. Chem. under revision

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Some VOC results

Source profiling with canisters: on road transport, power generators, solvent use, gasoline evaporation, etc.

Salameh et al., 2014, Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Some VOC results

Salameh et al., Atmos Env, under revision

Source apportionment using PMF

VOC: analysis is still on-going

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Some results for PM2.5

Source contribution: tracer-based method

Summer WinterHigher SOA in summer due to LRT

PM2.5: analysis is still on-going

Waked et al., 2013, ASTWaked et al., 2014, Atmos Res

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Modeling with a CTM

Polyphemus/Polair3D Model

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Modeling with a CTM

Polyphemus/Polair3D ModelEmissions inventory for Lebanon

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Sources taken into account:

• Transport (road, sea, air) Tier 3

• Industrial sector Tier 2

• Energy Production (power plants, generators) Tier 1

• Commercial, residential, construction sectors Tier 1

• Agriculture Tier 1

• Waste Tier 1

• Biomass burning Tier 1

• Biogenic Emissions Tier 1

Polluants :• CO • NOx• SO

2 • COV

• NH3

• PM10

et PM2.5

Choice of the activity rate and the emission factors :

• Sources: Data collection from the private and public sectors

• Emission factors and calculation method: EEA/EMEP 2009 guide (www.eea.europa.eu)

Emission Inventory for the year 2010First emissions inventory for Lebanon

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Results : annual inventory for 2010 (Lebanon, 1 cell)

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• After the calculation of the annual emissions allocation in space and time

• 2 domains :Lebanon : cells of 5km x 5kmBeirut and suburbs : cells of 1km x 1km

• Stationary Sources (Power plants,…) : localisation of each source by longitude and latitude

• Mobile Sources : road traffic (number of vehicles by segment)

Spatial and temporal resolution

1 km x 1 km

5 km x 5 km

30 km

40km

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1: Tripoli

2: Zouk

3: Beirut

4: Chekka

5: Jieh

6: Saïda

7: Bekaa

8: Selaata

Spatial allocation in the large domain (Lebanon)

Waked et al., 2012, Atmos Env

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1: Beirut

2: Zouk

Spatial allocation in the inner domain (Beirut and sub.)

Waked et al., 2012, Atmos Env

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Extension of the assess. of emissions from transport in MEA

Waked and Afif, 2012, Atmos Env

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Modeling results for Lebanon (2 - 17 July 2011)

Waked et al., 2013, ACP

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Modeling results for Lebanon (2 - 17 July 2011)

Waked et al., 2013, ACP

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Modeling results for Lebanon (2 - 17 July 2011)

Waked et al., 2013, ACP

- Comparison between Polyphemus and the tracer based-approach undertaken to assess the contribution of the different sources to OC in PM2.5 in Beirut

Although discrepancies exist, on-road transportation and diesel generators used for electricity production are major sources of atmospheric PM

Waked et al., 2014, Air Qual Atmos Health

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Conclusion• New Dataset of pollutants available for Lebanon with an emission inventory,

measurements, etc.

• Work is still on-going to analyze data

• New actions have/are taking place, ex. Tunnel experiment in July 2014

The new actions are part of the TRANSEMED initiative Agnès Borbon Friday morning!

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