Characterizing the regional concentrations and seasonality of the emerging pollutant decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) using a WRF+CHIMERE modeling approach

Abstract

In this study, the results from two passive air sampling campaigns (winter and summer) performed previously in 8 different urban sites allowed the inclusion of the volatile methyl siloxane (VMS) D5 in a chemistry transport model (WRF+CHIMERE modeling system) to assess its performance in describing the concentrations and seasonal distribution of this emergent contaminant in a domain covering the western Iberian Peninsula. The model estimations were evaluated using the available field-based data, and the WRF+CHIMERE approach showed, in general, errors under 50% for all sampling sites and seasons, with a slight tendency to underestimations of D5 concentrations when using the lowest emission factor among those selected from the literature and to very large overestimations when using the highest emission factor available. The greatest errors are found for remote sampling points (substantial overestimations of the models at Midões, by even a factor of 3) and for coastal ones (where population and therefore emissions exhibit strong seasonality). The results also indicate that the chemical sinks by OH degradation play a negligible role on the ground-level concentrations of D5 at the scale of the investigated domain, with average contributions under 0.5%. Despite the lack of data regarding D5 emissions in the area, which led to the assumption of emission rates taken from other countries (and a constant population in the domain), the results of this first study are excellent and highlight the skill of WRF+CHIMERE in reproducing D5 concentrations. Indeed, the nature of the proposed modeling tool is helpful for understanding the processes conditioning the present and future behavior of contaminants like D5. Moreover, the model is bound to allow the future inclusion of D5 (and other VMSs) in regulatory scenarios, since restrictions on the use of these chemicals have just started to be introduced.