Quantifying maritime contributions to urban air quality in İzmir Bay using Tier 3 emission inventory and AERMOD modeling
Atmospheric Environment, cilt.387, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 387
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2026.122410
- Dergi Adı: Atmospheric Environment
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Applied Science & Technology Source, Artic & Antarctic Regions, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, EMBASE, Environment Index, Geobase, Greenfile, INSPEC, Public Affairs Index, Urban Studies Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: AERMOD, AIS-Based inventory, Coastal air quality, Maritime emissions, Urban ferries, İzmir bay
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Ship emissions are an important source of air pollution in densely populated coastal cities, particularly in semi-enclosed bays where atmospheric dispersion may be limited by local meteorological and geographical conditions. This study investigated the contribution of commercial vessels and municipal ferries to air pollution in İzmir Bay using an integrated emission inventory and dispersion modeling approach. Ship emissions for 2024 were estimated using the EMEP/EEA Tier 3 methodology based on vessel characteristics, engine power, fuel properties, and operational modes. Annual emissions were estimated as 3728 t/y of NOX, 157 t/y of PM2.5, and 345 t/y of CO. The emission inventory was spatially allocated along vessel routes and combined with meteorological and topographical data for AERMOD simulations. Commercial vessels accounted for approximately 57% of total NOX emissions and 78% of total PM2.5 emissions, whereas municipal ferries contributed 58% of total CO emissions. Despite lower total emissions, ferry operations generated the highest modeled concentrations of all pollutants due to their concentration in the inner bay and proximity to densely populated coastal districts. Contextual comparison with air quality monitoring data yielded model-based screening ratios suggesting maritime activities represent a notable local modeled contribution to ambient NOX concentrations at several coastal locations, while their contributions to PM2.5 and CO remained comparatively limited. Within the evaluated modeling framework, the findings strongly indicate that emission magnitude alone does not determine local air-quality impacts; rather, source proximity, route geometry, and transit frequency exert a dominant influence on modeled localized shoreline concentrations. These results highlight the importance of evaluating urban ferry systems independently from commercial shipping when formulating coastal air-quality management strategies.