Measurement and modelling of pollutant emissions from Hong Kong

During November 1997 a detailed airborne investigation of air pollution in the Hong Kong region was undertaken. The airborne investigation formed part of a larger study funded by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and included the development of a state of the art numerical air quality modelling system to simulate air pollution in the Hong Kong region. The system consisted of a numerical weather prediction module, a prognostic air–chemistry/transport model, an emissions inventory system and a Graphical User Interface for display of results and preparation of simulations. The purpose of the airborne investigations was to provide data on the fluxes of selected pollutants arising from or entering the Hong Kong airshed as a check on the inventory. In addition the aircraft was to provide data on other pollutants of interest particularly with respect to the formation of photochemical smog. This paper describes the inventory data obtained from the aircraft and makes comparisons between the predictions of the model and the aircraft data for one of the days when the aircraft was able to be used to estimate the total fluxes of NMHC and NOx from the study area.