UNSTEADY STATE DISPERSION OF AIR POLLUTANTS UNDER THE EFFECTS OF DELAYED AND NONDELAYED REMOVAL MECHANISMS

Abstract In this paper, we present a two‐dimensional time‐dependent mathematical model for studying the unsteady state dispersion of air pollutants emitted from an elevated line source in the atmosphere under the simultaneous effects of delayed (slow) and nondelayed (instantaneous) removal mechanisms. The wind speed and coefficient of diffusion are taken as functions of the vertical height above the ground. The deposition of pollutants on the absorptive ground and leakage into the atmosphere at the inversion layer are also included in the model by applying appropriate boundary conditions. The model is solved numerically by the fractional step method. The Lagrangian approach is used to solve the advection part, whereas the Eulerian finite difference scheme is applied to solve the part with the diffusion and removal processes. The solutions are analyzed to observe the effects of coexisting delayed and nondelayed removal mechanisms on overall dispersion. Comparison of delayed and nondelayed removal processes of equal capacity shows that the latter (nondelayed) process is more effective than the former (delayed removal) in the removal of pollutants from the atmosphere.