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Development of a Real Time Remote Sensing Network to Monitor Small Fluctuations in Urban Air Quality

EPA Grant Number: GF9501227
Title: Development of a Real Time Remote Sensing Network to Monitor Small Fluctuations in Urban Air Quality
Investigators: Adamkiewicz, Gary
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Broadway, Virginia
Project Period: June 1, 1995 through January 1, 2000
Project Amount: $34,000
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1995)
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Engineering and Environmental Chemistry , Fellowship - Engineering

Description:

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to develop, utilize and evaluate data from real-time remote sensing technologies to monitor air quality within an urban setting. Specifically, the project will establish a system to monitor small time scale fluctuations of ozone and its precursors; changes in these concentrations throughout the daily commuting cycles; changes in ozone formation throughout changing meteorological conditions; and changes in ozone formation following the implementation of a control strategy, such as the introduction of a reformulated gasoline (RFG) to the region. The specific activities conducted under this project will include: 1) conducting a literature search of monitoring and modeling research in the Boston metropolitan area, 2) development of a research plan to select remote sensing and other analytical equipment to be used, sampling locations, parameters to be monitored, quality assurance/quality control procedures, etc., 3) development and installation of the monitoring network, 4) statistical analysis of the data and determination of factors such as meteorological variables, equipment limitations, etc., and 5) comparison of pollutant transport modeling with data obtained under this study to identify and provide a basis for any modifications to the model. The Clean Air Act and its amendments have established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six major air pollutants, including ozone. Currently, hourly concentration averages are used to assess compliance with the NAAQS, often determined from longer monitoring periods. Such averaging does not account for the highly variable spatial and temporal concentrations observed. An increased level of model verification would be possible through real-time ambient monitoring capable of discerning these small time-scale fluctuations. Also, emissions inventories used in air pollution modeling have traditionally been based on accumulated estimates for individual mobile and stationary sources, not on ambient monitoring. It is expected that this study will yield more effective and efficient real- time monitoring for NOx and VOCs to more accurately quantify their levels within the urban environment.

Supplemental Keywords:

Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Toxics, Air, RFA, HAPS, air toxics, VOCs, Monitoring/Modeling, air quality criteria, real time monitoring, urban air pollutants, urban environment, ambient air quality, remote sensing, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), air quality, remote sensing data, air sampling, remote sensing network, monitoring, Nox, real-time monitoring, air pollutants, Nitrogen Oxides, urban air quality, air pollution, ambient monitoring, urban air pollution, urban air toxics

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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