Mathematical Modeling of Diffusion and Transport of Pollutants in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The process of dispersion of air pollutants, in a broad sense, can be considered as the net outcome of various mechanisms involved in the transport of air pollutants from the source to the receptor. The major mechanisms are: (1) advection of pollutants by mean air motion, (2) mixing of pollutants by atmospheric turbulence and (3) mass diffusion due to concentration gradients. In addition, the physical and chemical nature of the effluent, the location of the stack and the nature of the terrain downwind from the stack, effect the dispersion of the pollutants. Various physical and mathematical aspects related to the transport and diffusion of air pollutants in the atmospheric boundary layer are discussed here. Further, some aspects of dispersion in a weak wind stable boundary layer are described. Finally, the current issues in the modeling of weak wind boundary layer are illustrated.