Turbulent diffusion and air pollution: A comprehensive review of mechanisms, impacts, and modeling approaches

Turbulent diffusion is often a desirable phenomenon in many contexts, but it also presents significant challenges, particularly in the realm of air pollution. Air pollution, a universally recognized and frowned upon issue, degrades air quality and poses serious long-term health risks. Turbulent flows, characterized by chaotic and random fluid motions, give rise to turbulent diffusion, a process that acts as a transport mechanism for dispersing pollutants in the atmosphere. Despite its inherent complexities, the study of turbulent diffusion has advanced significantly, building on foundational concepts like Osborne Reynolds' decomposition in the 1850s and extending to Kolmogorov's length scale framework. These developments have enabled a deeper understanding of turbulent diffusion and its wide-ranging applications across various fields as new methods are continuously employed to broaden the scope of research and application.