Application of Lagrangian particle dispersion models to air quality assessment in the Trans-Manche region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais (France) and Kent (Great Britain)

In the framework of the cross-border EU INTERREG IIIA activity,the joint Anglo-French project, ATTMA, has been commissioned to study Aerosol Transport in the atmosphere of the Cross-Channel, or ‘Trans-Manche’region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais (France) and Kent (Great Britain). The air quality of the region is dominated by the industrial area of Dunkerque, in addition to transportation sources linked to cross-channel traffic in Kent and Calais, posing threats to the environment and human health. The aim of the project was to determine whether monitoring networks could identify dispersion patterns and sources responsible for the pollutants. Both ground-level monitoring data from UK and French networks and satellite images were considered