Task Force on Measurement and Modelling

Heavy Metals

MSC-E continued to be actively involved in the TFMM work. In particular, special attention was paid to the development of common EMEP global modelling framework, verification of modelling results via comparison with measurements, and usage of complimentary measurement data for pollution levels assessment.  

MSC-E participated in the TFMM Modelling Workshop held in Oslo, Norway in October 2008. The workshop participants were informed about the progress in the development of common EMEP global modelling framework. In particular, performance of GEM, IFS and WRF meteorological drivers was evaluated via comparison of processed meteorological fields (air temperature, precipitation, wind velocity) with observations. Besides, comparison of atmospheric modules of global models EMEPGLOB (MSC-W) and GLEMOS (MSC-E) was demonstrated. It was concluded that GEM and IFS drives demonstrated similar performance when compared with observations. Testing of the atmospheric modules in the framework of TH HTAP tracer experiment demonstrated that the results of EMEPGLOB and GLEMOS modelling systems are comparable.

MSC-E contributed to the tenth annual meeting of the TFMM held in Paris, France in June. The Centre presented information on application of monitoring-modelling approach to characterize the pollution levels of HMs in Europe and linked discrepancies between modelled and measured values with the uncertainties of HM emission data by means of back trajectories. It was stressed that measurements with high temporal resolution were particularly helpful for the back trajectory approach.

TFMM welcomed and supported a proposal of MSC-E to organize a case study devoted to the complex investigation of HM pollution levels on the example of a particular country. One of the main aims of the study is to better understand reasons of the discrepancies between modelled and measured values and to analyze quality of emission data.

Besides, usage of complimentary monitoring data, received from the ICP-Vegetation for validation of modelling results and complex analysis of pollution levels over Europe was discussed. It was shown that EMEP modelled HM levels significantly correlated with concentrations in mosses. Long-term trends of modelled HM deposition agreed well with the trends of the concentrations in mosses in most of countries.

Persistent Organic Pollutants

In recent years a large amount of work on application of passive sampling for the evaluation of air pollution is performed both in the European region and over the entire globe. Measurements of this type, being cost-consuming, can essentially improve spatial coverage of the EMEP region by measurement sites. A complex analysis of the results of passive sampling campaigns and model results can give additional information not only on pollution levels, but also on model performance and on quality of emission data.

At present data on passive sampling campaigns in the European region (CCC, MONET-CEEC) and on the global scale (GAPS) are available at MSC-E.

Information on the inclusion of measurements of passive sampling campaigns (PAS) into the analysis of POP pollution levels over Europe and their use for model validation was presented by MSC-E at the tenth annual session of the TFMM (Paris, France, June 2009). Comparing to regular measurements of POPs carried out at the EMEP monitoring sites the passive sampling campaigns cover essentially wider area of Europe. Therefore complementary use of measurements of active and passive samplers is of importance for the evaluation of European countries pollution by POPs. The progress in the application of passive sampling measurements was demonstrated. It was shown that modelling results on selected POPs significantly correlated with PAS measurements. At the same time TFMM recognized that further work of monitoring and of modelling communities on joint analysis of POP pollution levels and elaboration of measurement-modelling approach was required. It was also stressed that additional data on POP concentrations in soils, seas, fresh waters and vegetation were highly needed for the improvement of model parameterizations of exchange processes in various environmental compartments and for the refinement of the description of the pollution levels.