Climate Change Impact on Source Contributions to the Air Quality in Aveiro Region

Abstract

The full understanding of the links between air pollution sources and concentrations and climate change will be a challenge of future research. In this scope, the WRF-CAMx modelling system was applied to Aveiro Region (coastal central region of Portugal), recognized as one of the regions affected by some poor air quality events in Portugal and vulnerable to climate change effects. A summer period for the recent-past and the medium-term future climate, considering the new CMIP6 SSP5-8.5 scenario, was simulated, using the CAMx source apportionment tool to quantify the contribution of several source activities to ambient pollution, and their influence area type. Results show a decrease in the PM10 and NO2 concentrations in the future. The source-oriented analysis reveals a strong contribution of the industrial and transport sectors for NO2, while the background areas are those with the greatest influence for both pollutants.