Ambient air quality modelling as a preventive measure in ensuring a healthy living environment

In last 20 years significant progress has been made in reducing air emissions. This arises from the internationally accepted Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollutions and its related protocols which regulate the reduction of emissions of different air pollutants. In this does not constitute to ignore the harmonized environmental legislation with the European Union, which dictates very stringent operational conditions using the best available technology. Moreover, for certain projects which are likely to have significant environmental impacts or activities and installations that can cause large-scale environmental pollution, preventive approach was well established in which environmental effects in the early stages of design are reviewed. In doing so, implemented and tested computer tools which also include models for calculating the spread of air pollution from various sources of emissions into the air are used. In order to verify the acceptability of placing combined cycle gas turbine in the area of thermo power plant Trbovlje, we calculated the dispersion of pollution in ambient air at maximum load, using the Lagrangian model CALPUFF. The aim of the assignment was to determine environmentally acceptable height of the flue gases stack which will provide the healthy living environment for people.