Abstract
Field experiments were carried out in the vicinity of anisolated building using open-path and point monitoring airpollution detectors to measure concentrations of a tracer gasreleased from a source located either on the building or at thedownwind face of the building. Experiments were conducted underneutral or slightly unstable weather conditions. Either threeor five fast-response point monitors were located along thebeam path of an open-path instrument, in the wake of thebuilding. Experiments were performed with different sourcelocations, detector locations and building orientations to thewind. Visual comparison of data time series showed that datafrom the two types of instruments followed similar trends. Thebest degree of correlation occurred for an averaging timesimilar to the response time of the open-path monitor. Meanconcentrations detected by the open-path instrument weregenerally in very good agreement with the path averaged meanconcentrations from the point monitors. The point monitors werealso capable of providing time-resolved data needed to describedetailed concentration fluctuation statistics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brocco, D., Fratarcangeli, R., Lepore, L., Petricca, M. and Ventrone T.: 1997, ‘Determination of aromatic hydrocarbons in urban air of Rome’, Atmos. Environ. 31A, 557–566.
Childers, J. W., Thomson, E. L. Jr., Harris, D. B., Kirchgessner D. A., Clayton, M., Nataschke, F. and Phillips, W. J.: 2001, ‘Multi-pollutant concentration measurements around a concentrated swine production facility using open-path FTIR spectroscopy’, Atmos. Environ. 35, 1923–1936.
Eklund, B.: 1999, ‘Comparison of line-and point-source releases of tracer gases’, Atmos. Environ. 33, 1065–1071.
Fackrell, J. E.: 1984, ‘An examination of simple models for building influenced dispersion’, Atmos. Environ. 18(1), 89–98.
Galle, B., Klemedtsson, L., Berqvist, B., Ferm, M., Tornqvist, K., Griffith, D. W. T., Jensen, N. O. and Hansen, F.: 2000, ‘Measurements of ammonia emissions from spreading of manure using gradient FTIR techniques’, Atmos. Environ. 34, 4907–4915.
Grant, W. B., Kagann, R. H. and McClenny, W. A.: 1992, ‘Optical remote measurement of toxic gases’, J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 42(1), 18–30.
Griffiths, R. F., Mavroidis, I. and Jones, C. D.: 1998, ‘Development of a fast-response portable PID: model of the instrument response and validation tests in air’, Measure. Sci. Technol. 9, 1369–1379.
Hashmonay, R. A., Yost, M. G., Mamane, Y. and Benayahu, Y.: 1999, ‘Emission rate apportionment from fugitive sources using open-path FTIR and mathematical inversion’, Atmos. Environ. 33, 735–743.
Hinds, W. T.: 1969, ‘Peak-to-mean concentration ratios from ground-level sources in building wakes’, Atmos. Environ. 3, 145–156.
Huber, A. H.: 1984, ‘Evaluation of a method for estimating pollution concentrations downwind of influencing buildings’, Atmos. Environ 18(11), 2313–2338.
Jimenez, J. L., McManus, J. B., Shorter, J. H., Nelson, D. D., Zahnizser, M. S., Koplow, M., McRae, G. J. and Kolb, C. E.: 2000, ‘Cross road and mobile tunable infrared laser measurements of nitrous oxide emissions from motor vehicles’, Chemos.-Glob. Change Sci. 2, 397–412.
Kourtidis, K., Ziomas, I., Zerefos, C., Gousopoulos, A., Balis, D. and Tzoumaka, P.: 2000, ‘Benzene and toluene levels measured with a commercial DOAS system in Thessaloniki, Greece’, Atmos. Environ. 34, 1471–1480.
Macdonald, R. W., Griffiths, R. F. and Cheah, S. C.: 1997, ‘Field experiments of dispersion through regular arrays of cubic structures’, Atmos. Environ. 31(6), 783–795.
Macdonald, R. W., Griffiths, R. F. and Hall, D. J.: 1998. 'A comparison of results from scaled field and wind tunnel modelling of dispersion in arrays of obstacles’, Atmos. Environ. 32(22), 3845–3862.
Mavroidis, I. and Griffiths, R. F.: 2001, ‘Local characteristics of atmospheric dispersion within building arrays’, Atmos. Environ. 35, 2941–2954.
McClenny, W. A., Baumgardner, R. E. Jr., Baity, F. W. and Gray, R. A.: 1974, ‘Methodology for comparison of open-path monitors with point monitors’, JAPCA 24(11), 1044–1046.
Partridge, R. H.: 1990/91, ‘Long-path monitoring of atmospheric pollution’, Measure. Cont. 23,293–298.
Pasquill, F. and Smith, F. B.: 1983, Atmospheric Diffusion, Ellis Horwood Ltd, Chichester.
Russwurm, G. M., Kagann, R. H., Simpson, O. A., McClenny, W. A. and Herget, W. F.: 1991, ‘Long-path TIR measurements of volatile organic compounds in an industrial setting’, J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 41(8), 1062–1066.
Siemens Plessey Controls Ltd.: 1992, Hawk. Operation and Maintenance Manual, March 1992.
Stevens, R. K., Drago, R. J. and Mamane, Y.: 1993, ‘A long-path differential optical absorption spectrometer end EPA-approved fixed-point methods intercomparison’, Atmos. Environ. 27B(2), 231–236.
Todd, L. A., Ramanathan, M., Mottus, K., Katz, R., Dodson, A. and Mihlan, G.: 2001, ‘Measuring chemical emissions using open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopy and computer assisted tomography’, Atmos. Environ. 35, 1937–1947.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mavroidis, I., Griffiths, R.F. Comparison of Open-Path and Point Measurements of a Gaseous Pollutant in the Vicinity of a Model Building. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution: Focus 2, 655–667 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021361501983
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021361501983