Journal Articles South African Journal of Science Year : 2002

Analysis of SO 2 pollution in the South Durban Industrial Basin

Abstract

THE SOUTH DURBAN INDUSTRIAL BASIN (SDIB) is known for its poor air quality. Sulphur dioxide (SO 2) is a key pollutant and is monitored at four locations within the SDIB. This paper reports geographical variations in SO 2 concentrations over time and discusses the relationship between the pollutant and meteorological variables. Spectral analysis showed that the dominant feature of the data was the diurnal cycle, which was particularly well developed in winter at the two stations closest to the industrial sources. Relatively high SO 2 values occurred in association with low wind speeds, decreasing as wind speed rose to reach a critical threshold ranging between 3.5 and 4.5 m s –1 , after which the trend was reversed. The pollution pattern was attributed to stack down-drafting in the presence of strong southwesterly winds. Analysis of high-SO 2 events in conjunction with wind direction revealed that most episodes were linked to sources within the SDIB.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
Diab et al, SAJS 2002.pdf (592) Télécharger le fichier
Origin Publisher files allowed on an open archive
Loading...

Dates and versions

hal-01446957 , version 1 (26-01-2017)

Identifiers

  • HAL Id : hal-01446957 , version 1

Cite

Roseanne Diab, Arnold Prause, Hassan Bencherif. Analysis of SO 2 pollution in the South Durban Industrial Basin. South African Journal of Science, 2002. ⟨hal-01446957⟩
242 View
237 Download

Share

More