Impact of Atmospheric Pollutant Dispersion Around a Building in Urban Environment

¹ Mohammed V University in Rabat, Materials, Energy and Acoustics Team (MEAT), EST Salé, Morocco
² University Evry, University Paris-Saclay, Mechanics and Energetics Laboratory (LMEE), 91020. Evry, France
³ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Hafr Al Batin, P.O. Box, Hafr Al Batin, 39524, Saudi Arabia

^* Corresponding author: sarahakim60@yahoo.com

Abstract

Atmospheric pollution constitutes a critical obstacle to sustainable development because it simultaneously deteriorates environmental quality, affects human health, and weakens economic productivity. This study aims to model pollutant dispersion under an urban building environment using the software Code_Saturne. To describe the interaction between flow perturbations due to a building and pollution transport under homogeneous turbulence and uniform wind conditions, the approach utilizes the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations, solved using the Simple Gradient Diffusion Hypothesis closure. A parametric study was conducted by varying the height of a single building to investigate its influence on airflow structures and pollutant concentration fields in an urban environment. The findings show that increased building height leads to a reduction of pollutant concentration closer to the structural zone, suggesting that taller buildings are better pollutant transport screens. Since increased vertical air mixing allows for the dispersal of pollutant plumes farther from the source area. Numerical model results indicate development of accumulation and recirculation zones near short structures can have a substantial impact on the global atmospheric dispersion in the area around the building. Statistical data support the application of the Eulerian model within urban atmospheres and investigate projects related to urban development and air quality management.