Tracer concentrations and meteorological observations from the Bolzano Tracer EXperiment (BTEX)

The data set contains ground concentrations and related meteorological measurements collected during the field campaign of the Bolzano Tracer EXperiment (BTEX). The experiment was performed to characterize the dispersion of pollutants emitted by a waste incinerator in the basin of the city of Bolzano in the Alps. As part of the experiment two controlled releases of a passive gas tracer (sulfur hexafluoride, SF6) were performed through the stack of the incinerator on 14 February 2017 at two different times, starting respectively at 7:00 and 12:45. Samples of ambient air were collected at target sites by means of vacuum-filled glass bottles and plastic bags, and later analysed using a mass spectrometer (detectability limit 30 ppt). Meteorological conditions were monitored by means of a network of 15 ground weather stations, 1 temperature profiler, 1 SODAR and 1 Doppler Wind-LIDAR.

The data set represents one of the few examples available in the literature concerning dispersion processes in a typical mountain valley environment and provides a useful benchmark for testing and calibration of dispersion models in such a complex terrain.