Papers by Miguel Coutinho
Composting Plants are a potential source of offen sive odors that can create annoyance within com... more Composting Plants are a potential source of offen sive odors that can create annoyance within communi ties. Therefore, odors have been rated as the primary concern of the public rel ativ to implementation of composting facilities. E ngineers must be conscious of this fact and be familiar with odor generation and control. In this study, dispersion modeling and field inspec tions were used to quantify the potential odor impa ct, round a particular Composting Plant site in Lisbon, Portugal. The short-term model ISCST3, developed by the Envir o mental Protection Agency (US-EPA), was applied to this case study. Field inspections, based on VDI 3940 part II: 2006 were m ade near the composting Plant. Given the lack of national legislation or guideline s on this subject, the odor levels evaluation was p erformed based on German Guideline: Determination and Assessment of Odor in Ambient Air (Guideline on odor in ambient air / GOAA). In thes e guidelines, odor assessment is based on the conce...
On the contrary, in this paper a very detailed database was used. This database consists of three... more On the contrary, in this paper a very detailed database was used. This database consists of three years of hourly measured emission data, and coincident six air quality and meteorological observations associated to a power plant located in Central Portugal. Ground level concentrations of several pollutants were estimated with the ISCST3 model developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Application of the model followed a methodology developed for environmental impact assessment and results were analysed considering the philosophy of the EU framework directive (96/62/EC) recently transposed to the Portuguese law. A large number of simulations, with different but equally valid input data set, were performed in order to compare the results with a typical EIA simulation. METHODOLOGY
Science of The Total Environment, 2006
As a consequence of a monitoring program of a new municipal waste incinerator initiated in 1998, ... more As a consequence of a monitoring program of a new municipal waste incinerator initiated in 1998, a large data-base of dioxin and furan concentrations in the atmosphere of the metropolitan area of Porto, in northern Portugal, has been collected. The existence of this data coincides with the shutdown in January 2001 of two medical waste incinerators that were under operation in the inner city of Porto. Dioxin emissions from these facilities were measured indicating emissions 100 to 1000 times larger than recent European Union directive limits. Data show that the shutdown of these two units had a clear effect on the improvement of air quality in the region that was observed either on the overall level of dioxins and furans or as in subtle alterations of the homolog pattern of these compounds in the atmosphere.
O desenvolvimento de estratégias eficientes de gestão da qualidade do ar a nível regional obriga ... more O desenvolvimento de estratégias eficientes de gestão da qualidade do ar a nível regional obriga a execução de diversas acções cuja realização e interacção se revelam de grande complexidade. Um programa de gestão bem elaborado deverá sustentar-se num conhecimento profhdo das características socio-económicas e ambientais locais, exigindo consequentemente a realização de estudos em áreas científicas diversas. A caracterização das circulações atmosféricas que afectam a região de estudo deverá ser considerada com uma das tarefas principais a incluir num programa com estes objectivos. No caso da poluição fotoquúnica, a compreensão da mesoscala meteorológica adquire particular importância. De facto, o estudo das circulações de mesoscala permite descrever os padrões de transporte dos poluentes atmosféricos, os potenciais fenómenos de recirculação que lhe poderão estar associados, assim como determinar a capacidade de produção de poluentes secundários. Este trabaii~o estuda as circulações atmosféricas de mesoscala que ocorrem na costa portuguesa, abordando a sua infiuência na qualidade do ar. O estudo focaliza-se em duas regiões do temtório nacional que apresentam características topográficas e meteorológicas distintas: a região de Aveiro e de Lisboa. Nestas regiões aplicou-se uma ferramenta comum de simulação numérica que consiste no modelo de mesoscala meteorológica MEMO. A aplicação do modelo MEMO à região dc Aveiro foi complementada com a realização, durante o Verão de 1992, de uma campanha de prospecção meteorológica de âmbito regional. No caso de Lisboa optou-se por analisar as circulações de mesoscala que ocorrem em condições meteorológicas típicas. Em ambas as regiões, a aplicação do modelo MEMO, conjugada com a análise simultânea de dados meteorológicos, permitiu descrever as circulações de mesoscaia e perspectivar a sua influência no transporte dos poluentes atmosféricos. Adicionalmente, introduziu-se a teoria transiliente da turbulência no modelo MEMO. Trata-se de um esquema de fecho não local de parametrização da turbulência, cujos resultados sZo comparados com os dados experimentais disponiveis através da campanha meteorológica. A análise desta comparação mostra um comportamento adequado do esquema transiliente, concordante com o apresentado em estudos semelhantes 0 s resultados apresentados neste traballio constituem um contributo importante para a caracterização das circulações atmosféricas que ocorrem na costa portuguesa, assim como para o desenvolvimento futuro de estratégias de gestão da qualidade do ar em Portugal.
Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Térmica, na Faculdade de En... more Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Térmica, na Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, sob a orientação do Prof. Doutor Carlos Borrego
Urban Climate, 2014
Air quality measurements Air quality assessment Limit and target values for air pollutants Public... more Air quality measurements Air quality assessment Limit and target values for air pollutants Public information and reporting 2008 Air Quality Directive OBJECTIVES •To protect human health, paying particular attention to sensitive populations; •To minimise harmful effects on the environment as a whole (ecosystems, vegetation, materials and ozone layer); •To prevent air pollution in advance; •To improve the monitoring and assessment of air quality; •To provide information to the general public.
Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 1999
Science of The Total Environment, 1990
ABSTRACT The Gaussian dispersion model is used to predict the concentration field created by a pl... more ABSTRACT The Gaussian dispersion model is used to predict the concentration field created by a plume during the dispersion phase. Roughness effects are introduced using a differential method for the calculation of the vertical dispersion coefficient. An estimate of terrain roughness is obtained by inspection of topographical land maps. This information is digitalized as proposed by Hosker and stored in topographical files. The present paper stresses the need to consider the effects of terrain roughness on the transport of air pollutants even when described through Gaussian models; the results show an increase of 60% in SO2 peak concentrations over rough terrain.
Journal of the Operational Research Society, 2008
In order to meet European Union Directive 1999/31/EC, ERSUC, the company responsible for the muni... more In order to meet European Union Directive 1999/31/EC, ERSUC, the company responsible for the municipal solid waste management system in the Litoral Centro area of Portugal decided to change the main processing technology used within the system to incineration with energy recovery. In this article, we describe a study recently made at the Universities of Aveiro and Coimbra under contract with ERSUC to help the company determine the best way of redeploying the existing system. The approach adopted in the study relied heavily on the application of discrete location models.
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 2006
Since 1995, the Institute for Environment and Development in Portugal has obtained Ͼ300 stack sam... more Since 1995, the Institute for Environment and Development in Portugal has obtained Ͼ300 stack samples from various point sources of Portuguese industries. A coherent database was made with the collected results. The limit values fixed by several European legal documents consulted, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Dutch emission legislation, were applied to the Institute for Environment and Development stack sampling inventory (from 1995 to 2000) to evaluate the efficiency of these standards in promoting the control and reduction of atmospheric pollutants emissions, especially regarding nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter. The conclusion was that the original Portuguese legislation was not restrictive enough and not very efficient regarding emissions reduction. In contrast, the Dutch and Italian legislations are quite restrictive but very efficient concerning emission control for the three pollutants analyzed. One of the outcomes of this study was the publication of a new law in Portugal regulating the emissions of atmospheric pollutants. The strategy of this emissions control law follows the conclusions found in this study including the concept of a mass flow threshold and different approaches depending on source dimension.
International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005
TAPM (The Air Pollution Model) was applied to Madeira Island to simulate the behaviour of the plu... more TAPM (The Air Pollution Model) was applied to Madeira Island to simulate the behaviour of the plume of a municipal waste incinerator that was constructed in the southern slope of the island at an altitude of 1380 m. TAPM simulates very well the atmospheric flow that occurs around the island and inside the inner valleys under strong synoptic forcing. Validation tools reveal the good agreement between modelling results and meteorological data. Results obtained with the model show the importance of analysing the path of the plume emitted by the incinerator when designing monitoring stations layout.
Environmental Pollution, 1994
A forecast of expected evolution of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions in Portugal between 1988 and 2... more A forecast of expected evolution of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions in Portugal between 1988 and 2010 is presented. Predictions show that C02 emissions will almost double in the next twenty years. The equivalent potential C02 emissions from nitrogen oxides (NO×) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), for a time horizon of 20 years, is also presented NO× and VOC emissions seem to make a significant contribution to the global warming potential of Portuguese emissions. Estimates of C02 emissions due to forestfires have been made, oriented towards the study of the Portuguese contribution to the global warming. If the burned area exceeds 100 000 ha this contribution could reach 7% of the total Portuguese C02 emissions. The global warming potential of Portuguese forest fire emissions were also calculated The climate change predicted to Portugal could be responsible for an increase in the forest fires and consequently for a greater contribution of its emissions to the total values. It was concluded that it is important to quantify emissions of the greenhouse gases, including the contribution of forest fire emissions, not only in Portugal, but in all the Southern European countries.
Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 2011
This is the brief story of a decision process and the role of Strategic Environmental Assessment ... more This is the brief story of a decision process and the role of Strategic Environmental Assessment in government political decision-making. Following a prolonged, and agitated, decision process, initiated in the 1960s, the Government of Portugal in 2005 took the final decision to build the new international airport of Lisbon at the controversial location of Ota, 40 km north of Lisbon. The detailed project design and EIA were started. However this decision would change in 2007 due to the challenge raised by a private sponsored study that identified an alternative location for the airport at Campo de Tiro de Alcochete (CTA). This new site, which had never been considered as an option before, appeared to avoid many of the problems that caused public controversy at the Ota site. The Government, pressured by this challenge, promoted a strategic comparative assessment between the two sites. The result of this study was the choice of CTA as the preferred location. This paper discusses this radical change in the decision from a socio-political perspective. It will highlight the relevance of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), and the strategic and constructive approach it enables in mega-project decision-making.
Chemosphere, 2013
h i g h l i g h t s The total emissions of PCDD/PCDF in Portugal reached between 40 and 105 g I-T... more h i g h l i g h t s The total emissions of PCDD/PCDF in Portugal reached between 40 and 105 g I-TEQ year À1 , for the period of 2004-2009. Excluding the emissions from forest fires, the total emission is more or less constant over the years and around 37 g I-TEQ year À1. Taking into account the total of PCDD/PCDF a minimum of 3.8 and a maximum of 9.8 lg I-TEQ (year person) À1 were released.
Chemosphere, 2001
An external monitoring plan (EMP) is being implemented in the region of Oporto, Portugal, to foll... more An external monitoring plan (EMP) is being implemented in the region of Oporto, Portugal, to follow the potential eects of a future incinerator of municipal solid waste. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) were measured during 1998 and the ®rst semester of 1999, prior to the working up of the incineration unit. The baseline levels obtained through this intensive monitoring work are presented and discussed in the present paper.
Chemosphere, 2007
As part of a monitoring program conducted by IDAD-Institute for Environment and Development and s... more As part of a monitoring program conducted by IDAD-Institute for Environment and Development and supported by regional municipal solid waste (MSW) management authorities, dioxin concentrations in ambient air were measured in three regions of Portugal: Porto, Lisbon and Madeira. These independent studies were performed with the intention of providing data as a basis for the evaluation of potential impacts of the operation of recently built MSW incinerators. Thus, 170 samples were collected in nine different sites from January 1999 till present. The measured levels revealed an extremely variable content of PCDDs/PCDFs depending both on the area and the season of the year. Samples taken in Porto and Lisbon reveal a similar homologue structure even if concentrations measured in the Porto region are significantly greater. Data from Madeira is characteristic of a remote site with some of the congeners concentrations below the detection limit.
Chemosphere, 1998
In Portugal two municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators are under construction in the metropolit... more In Portugal two municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators are under construction in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto. During the development of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies of these units the authors found several limitations and uncertainties associated to the assessment of the environmental impact. Uncertainties were particularly felt on the assessment of the environmental impacts associated with the atmospheric emissions of PCDD and PCDF. At present an External Monitoring Plan is under design. 01998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
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Papers by Miguel Coutinho