PM2.5 Estimation with the WRF/Chem Model, Produced by Vehicular Flow in the Lima Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Lima is the capital of the Republic of Peru. It is the most important city in the country and as other Latin America metropolises have multiple problems, including air pollution due to particulate material above air quality standards, emitted by 1.6 million vehicles. The “on-line” coupled model of meteorology and chemistry of transport and meteorological/chemistry, WRF/Chem (Weather and Research Forecasting with Chemistry) has been used in the Lima Metropolitan Area, and validated against data observed at ground level with ten air quality stations of the National Service of Meteorology and Hydrology for the year 2016. The goal of this study was to estimate the concentration of PM2.5 particulate matter in the months of February and July of 2016. In both months, the model satisfactorily predicts temperature and relative humidity. The average observed PM2.5 concentrations in the month of July are higher than in February, ...