Air quality impact of a middle size airport within an urban context through EDMS simulation

The air quality impact of an airport due to both ground sources and air traffic emissions within the troposphere boundary layer is a relevant topic at a local scale, especially where the airport is surrounded by urbanized areas. The work analyses the emissions from the Amerigo Vespucci airport in Florence, Italy. The comparison between the present and the future layout of the airport, which is under project, is addressed, providing a possible tool to guide local air pollution prevention strategies within the framework of the strategic transport infrastructures development. The emission scenarios of the present and future airport layouts were estimated with EDMS 5.1.3, the software package issued by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) which is an US-EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) preferred model for airport emissions evaluation. The total yearly emissions of NOx, CO, SOx, VOCs and PM10 have been assessed, divided into the main phases of the LTO (landing and takeoff) cycle, provided for each aircraft. The results show that the takeoff phase is mainly responsible for NOx, SOx and PM10 contributions. The AERMOD dispersion model was run over one year to evaluate the concentrations of those pollutants, modelled as chemically inert. The maximum concentrations occur close to the gate and the ground movement areas. However, the air quality standards ruled by Directive 50/2008/EU are never reached except for NOx, which shows an overall maximum of the annual average of about 40 mu g/m(3), close to the standard for the vegetation health (50 mu g/m(3)). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.