ABSTRACT

The AirQUIS system, developed by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) is a map oriented, user-friendly air quality management system for use in urban and industrial areas. It contains all modules necessary to perform air quality assessment, such as databases for measurement and emissions, dispersion models, and an exposure module for health and materials. The AirQUIS system operates through menus and maps on the modern Windows NT platform in a network environment with several PC clients.

INTRODUCTION

The air quality component, AirQUIS, was first demonstrated at the Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer in 1994. Since then, AirQUIS has been further developed and has now been installed in several cities in Norway and Asia.

OBJECTIVES OF AIRQUIS

In meeting the requirements and objectives of its main users, a modern management system will also:

• Provide information on how much air pollution the population is exposed to;
• Establish a basis for strategies to reduce air pollution;
• Estimate environmental impacts from present and future developments.

To meet the requirements of an integrated modern system, the AirQUIS system includes among its objectives:

• A manual data entry application;
• An online monitoring system;
• A module for data acquisition and quality control;
• A measurement database for meteorology and air quality;
• A modern consumption/emission inventory database with emission models;
• Numerical models for transport and air pollutant dispersion;
• A module that examines population exposure;
• Statistical treatment and graphical presentation of measurements and modeling results;
• A user-friendly menu and map oriented interface;
• Import/export wizards for the import of data and dissemination of results.

All objects described above are integrated into a map and menu-oriented, user-friendly interface with direct links to databases of measurements and emissions, and presentation tools. Advanced import/export wizards enables the simple transfer of data to and from the AirQUIS system.

SENSORS AND MONITORS

The inclusion of meteorological data is important for information, forecasting and planning purposes, and together with climatological data helps provide background and explanatory reasons for simulations.

DATA TRANSFER AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

The AirQUIS system contains both manual (MDACS) and automatic (ADACS) data acquisition systems for the import of measurements. In addition, import functionality for time series data is available by using pre-defined data formats.

ADACS - Automatic Data Acquisition System

Data quality assurance programmes including direct quality control is performed at different levels within the data collection process including;

• Onsite during automatic and manual calibrations and controls;
• At the central data collection site following quality assurance routines according to ISO 45001;
• Within an approval system in the final data base;
• Simple statistical and graphical evaluations that check validity and the representativeness of data.

The quality control procedures help to ensure data reliability, essential for reporting, control and planning purposes. The comparability and compatibility of data is also essential for sound scientific and environmental management.

DATABASE USE

• Environmental data collected online;
• Source oriented emission data including procedures for emission modeling;
• Calculated levels of emissions, concentrations and exposure;
• Historical data with trends, background information (such as land-use, population distribution, regulations, and guideline values), and information that supports the decisionmaking process.

The information collected enables the evaluation of the actual state of the environment, trend analyses, emergency warnings, and the undertaking of response measures in case of high pollution alerts.

MODEL SCENARIOS

The models included in the system cater for air pollution on all scales; traffic emissions from parking places and along roads, industrial emissions and household pollution. This can be modelled at an urban level and on a regional scale.

The NILU developed, source oriented numerical dispersion model, EPISODE, calculates spatial distribution of hourly concentrations of SO₂, NO_x, NO₂ and suspended particulates. The NILU models, ROADAIR and CONTILENK, are used to estimate concentrations close to roads while a puff-trajectory model is used to calculate the influence of point sources.

To obtain a sound description of wind activity in complex terrains, NILU has included the terrain influenced windspeed model, MATHEW. The model is responsive and on an hourly basis performs windfield analysis, which serves as input to the dispersion model for pollutant emissions to air.

POPULATION EXPOSURE

ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

Ideally, the indicator should:

• Be relevant to environmental quality;
• Be easy to interpret;
• Respond to changes;
• Provide international comparisons;
• Have a target or threshold value that provides a basis for assessment;
• Be able to show trends over time.

Indicators can be aggregated data, or the observed single parameters. Aggregated data, however, will express the direct impact and stress on the environment (e.g., health, materials, vegetation) and will represent a better indicator for international comparisons and trend analyses. It will also serve to indicate the actual air pollution problem in a given area or region.

DATA PRESENTATION; GRAPHICS AND GIS

An important feature of an integrated system is the ability to present measurements, statistical and modeling results, emission data, background information and other relevant data directly or aggregated for different types of users.

Multi-media information may be delivered in the form of text, tables, graphs, images, sound or video, and can be tailored to individual end-user requirements. Among the systems target end-users are:

• Authorities at different levels (municipal, regional, national, international);
• Industrial users;
• Schools, universities and the scientific community;
• Various organisations (research, international, NGO);
• The public and the media.

The use of maps or digitalized Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is suggested for the presentation of results, particularly monitoring data that is supported and supplied by model estimates of spatial concentration distributions and impacts.

TECHNICAL PLATFORM SUPPORTING ENSIS

Software

• PCs operating from Windows NT version 4.0 (version 3.51 is also possible);
• A server running on ORACLE version 7.3 (version 7.2 is an alternative);
• Communication software between the server and its client(s);
• Seagate Crystal Reports version 6.0 Professional.

Hardware

PC/Clients:

• IBM-compatible PC Pentium Pro
• 64 Mbyte RAM
• 1.0 Gb hard disc
• CD player

PC/Server:

• IBM compatible Dual Pentium Pro
• 128 Mb RAM
• 8.0 Gb hard disc
• CD player

REFERENCES

Bøhler, T.and Riise, A. (1997) Using the air quality assessment system AirQUIS in modelling the population's exposure to traffic induced air pollution. Kjeller, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU F 7/97).

Bøhler, T. (1996) The Meteorological pre-processor for dispersion modelling MEPDIM. Version 1.0. Model description. Kjeller, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU TR 7/96).

Bøhler, T. (1995) Environmental surveillance and information system. Presented at the Air Pollution 95 Conference, Porto Carras September 26-29, 1995. Lillestrøm, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU F 13/95).

Grønskei, K., Walker, S.E. and Gram F.(1993) Evaluation of a model for hourly spatial concentration distributions. Atmos. Environ., 27B, 105-120.

Sivertsen, B. (1994) Air Pollution Monitoring for on-line Warning and Alarm. Presented at the International Emergency Management and Engineering Conference. Florida April 18-21, 1994 Lillestrøm, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU F 7/94).