Effects of Isoprene on Atmospheric Pollution Simulated Using the WRF-Chem Model Over the Northern Region of Thailand
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Abstract
The research on the effects of Isoprene on atmospheric pollution simulated using the WRF-Chem model over the northern region of Thailand aims to study the influence of isoprene, a volatile organic compound emitted in large amounts by plants, on the formation of ozone and PM2.5. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled to Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is performed to evaluate the model's performance in calculating the concentrations of ozone and PM2.5, as well as to examine the role of isoprene in changing these air pollution concentrations in northern Thailand. The results showed that the isoprene concentrations calculated by the model were approximately 3.7 and 2.4 times lower than the measurements during the rainy season and dry season, respectively. By using an isoprene adjustment factor in order to modify the isoprene calculations, the isoprene concentrations increased nonlinearly. The increase in isoprene enhanced the concentrations of ozone, but the calcultion of PM2.5 was not affected significantly. However, PM2.5 mass concentrations remained largely unchanged. Instead, the PM2.5 composition was significantly affected, with an increase in glyoxal proportion and a decrease in sulfate (1–3%), nitrate (0.8%), and ammonium (0.4–0.8%) compared to the baseline scenario. These changes are attributed to competition for oxidants (OH and NO3), which influence the pathways of secondary aerosol formation and PM2.5 composition became more organic-rich. The findings highlight the critical role role of isoprene in atmospheric chemistry, with these changes impacting air quality as the formation of ozone and chemical composition of particles.
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