Gas emissions on rice culture and its importance on air quality

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente Perfil Gestão de Sistemas Ambientais

In order to assess the impact of emissions from the agricultural sector to the atmosphere on the air quality the chemical transport model CHIMERE was applied. The model considers emissions due to the various sectors of anthropogenic origin and also due to biogenic activity and natural origin. Sensitivity tests to the model results concentrations were performed by varying the NH3 emissions from the agricultural sector of anthropogenic origin, over rice culture regions identified through land use shapes of the CORINE Land Cover (2006 version). The analysis of time series concentrations of chemical species resulting from the application of the model were evaluated in two areas: on the rice cultivation area of Salvaterra de Magos, where the experimental plots of the research project "Trace gas emissions from Portuguese irrigated rice fields in contrasting soils, by the influence of crop management, climate and increase concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere" (PTDC/AGR-AAM/102529/2008) are located; and on the Lisbon region, downwind of Salvaterra de Magos. An evaluation of the mean concentrations fields obtained over the CHIMERE model domain during the simulation period was also done. The choice of chemical species was focused on the nitrogen compounds in the three phases and on undifferentiated particulate material.

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - PTDC/AGR-AAM/102529/2008