High-Resolution Pollutant Transport in the San Pedro Bay

ALEXANDER COHAN (1),Jun Wu (1), Donald Dabdub (1)

(1) University of California, Irvine

     Abstract Number: 238
     Last modified: November 9, 2009

Abstract
The combined sea port of Los Angeles and Long Beach make one of the top five busiest ports by shipping volume in the world. Communities near the ports face potential cancer risk levels exceeding 500 in a million from severe air pollution from a wide variety of sources, including port-related activities such as ships and cargo vessels, and heavily traveled freeways and surface streets with a high fraction of heavy-duty diesel trucks. This study numerically examines the transport and diffusion of PM$_(2.5) and NO$_X in port communities using the high resolution plume model AERMOD, incorporating surface and aloft observed meteorology and digital elevation maps. Source impacts of roadway related emissions, direct port activity of cargo handling equipment and commercial shipping vessels are modeled for representative cold and hot months in 2005. Results show high spatial variability as well as increased concentrations during cold months. While port activity significantly impacts in-port air pollution, the affects of port activity is limited to within 2-6 km. Port adjacent communities are most sensitive to roadway related emissions. Results show a peak correlation coefficient of 50% compared with observations without accounting for background concentrations.