UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee
Encyclopedia
The UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee (ADMLC) is composed of representatives from UK governmental departments, agencies and research organizations as well as from non-governmental organizations and groups. The ADML's purpose is the review and study of atmospheric dispersion modelling and related phenomena for application primarily in the authorization or licensing of pollutant
emissions
to the atmosphere
from industrial, commercial or institutional sites.
The ADMLC is primarily concerned with atmospheric pollutant discharges from regulated emission sites and other fixed sources. Their review and study interests include routine discharges as well as accidental releases
or releases cause by operational upsets. Their interests also include modelling dispersion at all scales from on-site short range (including dispersion modelling indoors) to long range distances. The ADMLC does not normally get involved with pollutant emissions from roadway traffic
or other non-fixed sources. Nor does it get involved with air pollution
topics such as acid rain
and ozone formation.
Although the ADMLC was initially formed to consider primarily radioactive releases from the nuclear industry, it has expanded its range of interests and its membership to more fully reflect the needs of industrial and regulatory organisations.
The Chairman and the Secretary of the ADMLC are provided by the National Radiological Protection Board
(NRPB).
The ADMLC members pay an annual subscription which is used to fund reviews on topics agreed on by the members, and to support in part its secretariat, provided by the Health Protection Agency. By the end of the 2004/05 financial year, the ADMLC had funded 24 review projects. Those projects are indicative of the areas in which the ADMLC is interested, and they include the following review project subjects:
www.air-dispersion.com
Pollutant
A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil, and is the cause of pollution.Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, its concentration and its persistence. Some pollutants are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the...
emissions
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
to the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
from industrial, commercial or institutional sites.
The ADMLC is primarily concerned with atmospheric pollutant discharges from regulated emission sites and other fixed sources. Their review and study interests include routine discharges as well as accidental releases
Accidental release source terms
Accidental release source terms are the mathematical equations that quantify the flow rate at which accidental releases of air pollutants into the ambient environment can occur at industrial facilities such as petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, natural gas processing plants, oil and gas ...
or releases cause by operational upsets. Their interests also include modelling dispersion at all scales from on-site short range (including dispersion modelling indoors) to long range distances. The ADMLC does not normally get involved with pollutant emissions from roadway traffic
Roadway air dispersion modeling
Roadway air dispersion modeling is the study of air pollutant transport from a roadway or other linear emitter. Computer models are required to conduct this analysis, because of the complex variables involved, including vehicle emissions, vehicle speed, meteorology, and terrain geometry...
or other non-fixed sources. Nor does it get involved with air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
topics such as acid rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
and ozone formation.
History
In 1977, a meeting of representatives from UK government departments, utilities and research organisations was held to discuss atmospheric dispersion calculation methods for radioactive releases. Those present agreed on the need for a review of recent developments in atmospheric dispersion modelling and formed an informal Steering Committee, which operated for a number of years. That Steering Committee subsequently became the UK Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling Liaison Committee in 1995.Although the ADMLC was initially formed to consider primarily radioactive releases from the nuclear industry, it has expanded its range of interests and its membership to more fully reflect the needs of industrial and regulatory organisations.
Membership
As listed on the ADMLC's web site http://www.admlc.org.uk/about.htm, the membership of the ADMLC includes the following UK entities:- Atomic Weapons EstablishmentAtomic Weapons EstablishmentThe Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
at Aldermaston - Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
- Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Northern Ireland Environment Agency
- Environment AgencyEnvironment AgencyThe Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
- Food Standards AgencyFood Standards AgencyThe Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food throughout the United Kingdom and is led by a board appointed to act in the public interest...
- GE HealthcareGE HealthcareGE Healthcare is a division of GE Technology Infrastructure, which is itself a division of General Electric . It employs more than 46,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. GE Healthcare is the first GE business segment to be headquartered...
- Health and Safety ExecutiveHealth and Safety ExecutiveThe Health and Safety Executive is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom. It is the body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in England and Wales and Scotland...
- Methodology and Standards Development Unit, Hazardous Installations Directorate
- Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
- Health Protection Agency
- Home OfficeHome OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
- Met OfficeMet OfficeThe Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
- National Nuclear Corporation (now known as AMECNNC, Ltd.)
- Nuclear Department, HMS Sultan
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- Shell Global Solutions
- Westlakes Research Institute
The Chairman and the Secretary of the ADMLC are provided by the National Radiological Protection Board
National Radiological Protection Board
The National Radiological Protection Board was a public authority in the UK created by the Radiological Protection Act 1970. Its statutory functions were to conduct research on radiological protection and provide advice and information on the subject to Government Departments and others. It was...
(NRPB).
Areas of interest
ADMLC facilitates the exchange of ideas and highlights where there are gaps in knowledge. It tries to provide guidance to, and to endorse good practice in, the dispersion modelling community. The ADMLC has hosted workshops and welcomes ideas for joint meetings or joint workshops with other organisations.The ADMLC members pay an annual subscription which is used to fund reviews on topics agreed on by the members, and to support in part its secretariat, provided by the Health Protection Agency. By the end of the 2004/05 financial year, the ADMLC had funded 24 review projects. Those projects are indicative of the areas in which the ADMLC is interested, and they include the following review project subjects:
- Dispersion at low wind speed
- Dispersion from sources near groups of buildings, or in urban areas
- Plume rise
- Dispersion in coastal areas,
- The use of old meteorological data or data obtained at some distance from the release point
- The possible use of data from numerical weather predictionNumerical weather predictionNumerical weather prediction uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of computer simulation in the 1950s that numerical weather predictions produced realistic...
programs - Uncertainty of dispersion model predictions as a result of deriving atmospheric stabilityAir pollution dispersion terminologyAir pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
indicators from meteorological data - Proceedings of a workshop on the reliability of dispersion models for regulatory applications
- Review of the Royal Meteorological SocietyRoyal Meteorological SocietyThe Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
guidelines for atmospheric dispersion modelling - Calculation of air pollutant concentrations indoors
- Dispersion following explosions
See also
- Accidental release source termsAccidental release source termsAccidental release source terms are the mathematical equations that quantify the flow rate at which accidental releases of air pollutants into the ambient environment can occur at industrial facilities such as petroleum refineries, petrochemical plants, natural gas processing plants, oil and gas ...
- Bibliography of atmospheric dispersion modeling
- Air pollution dispersion terminologyAir pollution dispersion terminologyAir pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
- Air Quality Modeling GroupAir Quality Modeling GroupThe Air Quality Modeling Group is in the U.S. EPA's Office of Air and Radiation and provides leadership and direction on the full range of air quality models, air pollution dispersion models and other mathematical simulation techniques used in assessing pollution control strategies and the...
- Air Quality Modelling and Assessment Unit (AQMAU)
- Air Resources LaboratoryAir Resources LaboratoryThe Air Resources Laboratory is an air quality and climate laboratory in the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research which is an operating unit within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the UNited States...
- AP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission FactorsAP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission FactorsThe AP 42 Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, was first published by the U.S. Public Health Service in 1968. In 1972, it was revised and issued as the second edition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . In 1985, the subsequent fourth edition was split into two volumes...
- Atmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
- :Category:Air dispersion modeling
- List of atmospheric dispersion models
- Finnish Meteorological InstituteFinnish Meteorological InstituteThe Finnish Meteorological Institute is the government agency responsible for gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Finland. It is a part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications but it operates semi-autonomously....
- Met OfficeMet OfficeThe Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
- National Environmental Research Institute of DenmarkNational Environmental Research Institute of DenmarkNERI, the National Environmental Research Institute of Denmark is an independent research institute under the Aarhus University. NERI undertakes scientific consultancy work and monitoring of nature and the environment as well as applied and strategic research...
- NILU, Norwegian Institute of Air ResearchNILUThe Norwegian Institute for Air Research or NILU is one of the leading specialized scientific laboratories in Europe researching issues related to air pollution, climate change and health. NILU has a staff of scientists, engineers and technicians with specialized expertise for working on air...
- Royal Meteorological SocietyRoyal Meteorological SocietyThe Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
- UK Dispersion Modelling BureauUK Dispersion Modelling BureauThe UK Dispersion Modelling Bureau is part of the Met Office which is the UK's national weather and meteorological service...
Further reading
www.crcpress.comwww.air-dispersion.com