Establishing a Reference Modeling for SourceApportionment and Effective Strategy-Making forSuppressing Secondary Air Pollutants

摘要

Regional air quality modeling is a powerful tool for considering effective strategies to suppress ambientPM 2.5 concentrations. It is particularly suited to evaluating source apportionments ─ critical information fordesigning effective strategies ─ by facilitating consideration of complex photochemical reactions and aerosolformation in the atmosphere. Its performance at reproducing PM 2.5 concentrations, however, needsimprovement. It incorporates various factors that could alter simulated pollutant concentrations. It is not aneasy task for anyone relying on a single model to get a grasp of the uncertainties arising from these factorsoverall. The aim of this project, called “Japan?s Study for Reference Air Quality Modeling” （J-STREAM），is to promote research in Japan that can provide an assemblage of references on air quality modeling. Thevariabilities and uncertainties in pollutant concentrations simulated by currently available models are beingevaluated using model inter-comparisons. The project is also seeking suitable model configurations amongthe models participating in these inter-comparisons. Such information could serve as a reference for modelusers in Japan. This project has other sub-themes, as well: contributing to improvement of currentlyavailable emission inventories based on the results of model inter-comparisons, solving remaining issuesrelated to secondary inorganic aerosols through specific measurements, and newly investigating three-dimensional structures of ozone concentrations. Various findings have already been obtained through themodel inter-comparison, to which an ample number of models have submitted their results. Detailed modelperformance and source apportionments will be evaluated in forthcoming phases of this project.