Impact of emission control strategies on air quality: a case study in Piracicaba, São Paulo—Brazil

Assessing the contribution of multiple air pollutant sources is essential to effective emission control policy design, towards which numerical quality modelling can provide fundamental guidance. In Piracicaba, an industrial municipality in São Paulo, Brazil, a straightforward strategy focusing on local direct and precursor reduction has been proposed, as part state-wide program following update state Air Quality Standards 2013. The WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ system was used investigate effectiveness scenario proposed achieving expected levels. Meteorological fields were modelled using WRF model, for two 7-day periods (January 11–17 summer July 26 Aug 01 winter) during 2015. Emission scenarios prepared SMOKE pre-processor, by combining inventory with global emissions from EDGAR HTAP_V2 database, input CMAQ system. PM rate similar rate: 14% 22% overestimated winter, respectively, albeit poorly spatially distributed, hindering its applicability studies. A 20% improves average ambient levels up 15.5%, but O3 precursors hardly impacts concentration (< 1%). strategies may result overall improvement quality, smaller than originally expected. Therefore, design should be revised, since relation between concentrations often nonlinear.