Synergy of receptor and dispersion modelling: Quantification of PM10 emissions from road and soil dust not included in the inventory

Dispersion modelling-based apportionment of emitting sources impacting the air quality depends on quality of Emission Inventory (EI) and meteorological data. The CMB (Chemical Mass Balance) receptor model and AERMOD dispersion model have been combined to identify and account for un-quantified sources of PM10 in EI. The speciated PM10 data from Baddi-Nalagarh (30.9412° N latitude, 76.78° E longitude), India was used in CMB model. The CMB analyses identified that fugitive sources, soil and road dust, contribute significantly to PM10 concentration; these sources were not considered in the existing EI. As a result, AERMOD significantly underestimated the PM10 concentration at most locations. The existing EI in each grid was improved by adjusting emission as per road lengths and deficit in measured and computed concentrations. The estimated PM10 road dust emission from all grids was 653 kg/d. The revised EI showed a significant improvement in AERMOD performance examined through statistical tests.