In the zone of the Krakow Agglomeration for many years there have been cases of exceeding average annual acceptable levels of suspended particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Within the city of Krakow and in its close vicinity there are large combustion plants that are an important source of emissions of the aforementioned substances to the air, and therefore can, to some extent, be responsible for these excesses.

This chapter presents evaluation of the impact on air quality in Krakow conducted for three large combustion systems belonging to EDF Polska S.A. Branch No. 1 in Krakow, ArcelorMittal Poland S.A. Unit in Krakow and Skawina S.A. Power Plant. This evaluation was conducted by means of the process of mathematical modelling of the spread of pollutants in the air with the use of a multilayer, non-stationary, Gaussian CALPUFF cloud model, recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The input to the model were the results of continuous emission measurements for the year 2012, for total dust, nitrogen oxides, and additionally sulphur dioxide (SO2), contributing to formation of secondary aerosol in the air. The obtained results of calculations of concentrations in the air were referred to appropriate reference values and acceptable levels, as well as the results of direct measurements implemented at air monitoring stations located in Krakow.

On the basis of conducted calculations, it was stated that the analysed large combustion plants may cause, in the area of Krakow, at ground level air the presence of increased 1-hour concentrations of PM10, NO2 and SO2 at a maximum level of respectively 167.5; 98.5 and 141.1% of the reference value. Subsequent maximum values of these concentrations were obtained, however, at a much lower level, thus 1-hour reference values in the air are not exceeded by these facilities. In the concerned area, also no possibilities of presence of exceeding 24-hour and annual acceptable concentrations in the air resulting from emissions of aforementioned substances from the analysed heat and power plants were noted, though local maximum values of these concentrations caused by them may be important in shaping air quality in the area of their presence. However, this does not apply to the location points of air monitoring stations in Krakow. For instance, the measurement results of average annual concentrations performed in these points, were only slightly influenced by the examined systems, at most at a level of a few percent.