Tracer concentrations and meteorological observations from 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.