Guidelines For Assessment of Document No.

Ground Level Concentrations from 8-1741-0090

Continuous Point Sources Rev. No.1
Page 1 of 5

GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSMENT OF GROUND

LEVEL CONCENTRATIONS FROM
CONTINUOUS POINT SOURCES

1 09.07.07 Reaffirmed and Reissued DDC DRC HOD

Issued for Implementation (after revising to meet
0 29.07.02 DDC DRC HOD
ISO-9001,2K version requirements)
Approved
Rev. No Date Purpose Prepared by Reviewed by
by

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 Guidelines For Assessment of Document No.
Ground Level Concentrations from 8-1741-0090
Continuous Point Sources Rev. No.1
Page 2 of 5

Abbreviations:

ISCST-3.0: Industrial Source Complex Short Term Model – 3.0

EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment

Document Drafting Committee Members:

Mr. R.S.Prasad, Dy. Manager

Mr. B.Ravi Kumar, Dy.Manager
Dr. D.Bandopadhyay, Dy. Manager

Document Review Committee Members

Mr. B.B.Lal, AGM

Mr. V. S. Chhaya, AGM
Mr. Susheel Sadh, Sr. Manager

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 Guidelines For Assessment of Document No.
Ground Level Concentrations from 8-1741-0090
Continuous Point Sources Rev. No.1
Page 3 of 5

CONTENTS

CLAUSE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

1. PURPOSE 4

2. SCOPE 4

3. REFERENCES 4

4. DEFINITIONS 4

5. METHODOLOGY 4

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 Guidelines For Assessment of Document No.
Ground Level Concentrations from 8-1741-0090
Continuous Point Sources Rev. No.1
Page 4 of 5

1.0 PURPOSE

This document gives guidelines for assessment of ground level concentrations of

pollutants resulting from emission of various continuous point sources.

2.0 SCOPE

This document is useful while preparing Environmental Impact Assessment

report.

3.0 REFERENCES

3.1 “Assessment of Impact to Air Environment” published by Central

Pollution Control Board.
3.2 “Guidelines for conducting air quality modelling” published by India
Meteorological Department.
3.3 User Manual of Trinity’s Breeze Air Dispersion Model.
3.4 Manual of “Industrial Source Complex Short Term Model – 3.0”
published by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

4.0 DEFINITIONS

Nil

5.0 METHODOLOGY

EIA involves identification, prediction, assessment and evaluation of impacts on

environment due to proposed activities. Assessment of ground level
concentrations of various pollutants due to proposed activities is one of the
important exercises involved in preparation of EIA report. This guideline gives a
detailed information about the model used for assessing air quality due to
release of continuous point sources.

The model used for assessing air quality study is ISCST–3.0, which is one of
the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) UNAMAP series
of air quality models. It is to be noted that the basic equations used in this
model and the equations specified in the Central Pollution Control Board’s
manual are same.

The Industrial Source Complex models are used to predict pollutant

concentration from continuous: point, area and volume sources. These versatile
models are preferred by the USEPA because of many features that enable the
user to estimate the concentrations from practically any type of source emitting
non-reactive pollutant.

The ISCST-3.0 model for stacks uses steady state Gaussian Plume equation for
the continuous elevated source. For cross wind and down wind distances, the
model uses either polar or rectangular Cartesian coordinates as specified by the
user. For wind speed profile, wind power law is used to adjust the observed
wind speed to the stack or release height. For computation of plume rise, Briggs
plume rise formula is used. The distance dependent momentum plume rise
equations are used to determine if the plume is affected by the wake region for

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 Guidelines For Assessment of Document No.
Ground Level Concentrations from 8-1741-0090
Continuous Point Sources Rev. No.1
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the building downwash calculations. In order to consider the stack tip
downwash, modification in stack height is performed using Briggs (1974).

The point source dispersion parameters are computed using the Turners (1970)
equation that approximately fits the Pasquill-Gifford curves. In order to take in
account for the wake effect, plume dispersion theory of Huber (1976) and
Synder (1977) has been used. The buoyancy-induced dispersion has been
considered using the Pasquill method. The vertical term and dry depositions are
also taken into account by this model.

Besides the above, depending on the land use category, the model can be used
for employing Urban or Rural dispersion coefficients. The model also calculates
the ground level concentrations due to stack tip downwash as well as in the
building wake and the fumigation conditions. Option for simulation of different
type terrains, viz. flat, simple, intermediate and complex terrains is also built in.

The input requirements for running the above model using computer program
consist of four categories of information:

- Hourly meteorological data

- Source data
- Receptor data
- Program control parameters

Meteorological inputs required by the program include hourly estimates of the

wind direction, wind speed, ambient air temperature, atmospheric stability,
mixing height, wind profile exponent and vertical temperature gradient. Some of
the data required as mentioned above e.g. vertical temperature gradient, wind
profile exponent and mixing depths call for a detailed study in itself, which in
this case was not possible. Therefore, USEPA approved default values of wind
exponents and temperature gradient as available in ISCST-3.0 can be used.

The input data requirements for each source include data specific to the source
and its type (whether point, area or volume source). The source input
requirement for running the program are the emission height, location, exit
velocity, exit temperature and strength.

The receptor data can be given either as polar, rectangular Cartesian or

discrete ones. In the cartesian system the x-axis is positive to the east of a
user-specified origin and y-axis positive to the north. In the polar system, r is
the radial distance measured from the origin and angle is measured clock wise
from the north.

Program control parameters include number of model and logic operations like
rural or one of three urban options, selection of plume rise due to momentum
and buoyancy as a function of downwind distance, multiple point sources,
concentration estimates for 1 hr to annual average, grid / discrete receptors etc.

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