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PERCH Air Quality Study

PERCH Air Quality Study An Assessment of Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Air Toxics in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. PERCH Air Quality Study Team. Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael E. Chang Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Karsten Baumann Professor Ann Bostrom

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PERCH Air Quality Study

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  1. PERCH Air Quality Study An Assessment of Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Air Toxics in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties

  2. PERCH Air Quality Study Team Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael E. Chang Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Karsten Baumann Professor Ann Bostrom Professor Armistead Russell Investigators: Dr. Carlos Cardelino Mr. Ryan Gesser Dr. Yongtao Hu Ms. Laura King Dr. Talat Odman Dr. Richard Peltier Ms. Azin Sahabi Dr. Rama Mohana R Turaga Professor Rodney Weber Mr. Wes Younger

  3. The Question: Does a connection exist between air pollution / air toxics and adverse human health outcomes in the Pensacola area?

  4. 3 Phases of the PERCH Air Quality Study • Assess and prioritize local, urban, and regional threats to human health associated with air toxics and criteria pollutants. • Investigate the relationship between regional-scale measures of air quality provided by the existing regulatory-based air quality monitoring network, and neighborhood-scale measures of air quality that may be more representative of human exposures in the Pensacola area. • Identify the primary contributors to PM, ozone, and air toxics pollution and quantify their relative contributions to local ambient concentrations (and hence potential exposures).

  5. Phase I: Identify the problem August 26, 2001 In 2001 – 2002 interests and concerns were varied among the study’s stakeholders: Ground-level Ozone: Chief concern of Local Community, Business, and Industry “…[the American Lung Association] ranked Escambia as having the worst ground-level ozone problem in Florida.” Fine Particulate Matter: Primary intellectual interest of investigators “The Pensacola area has the highest recorded concentrations of fine particle pollution in Florida.” “…Escambia County ranks among the nation’s leaders in toxic air pollution.” Air Toxics: Leading interest of sponsors

  6. Phase I: Identify the problem At concentrations observed contemporarily (1996-2002) in Pensacola: Key Findings: particulate matter likely presents the greatest risk to human health generally related to air quality in the Pensacola region. Implications: Of the three classes of pollutants, ozone is the most well understood pollutant, though it may not pose the greatest health risk. Less is known about particle pollution and air toxics. In terms of allocating PAQS resources, the investigation’s ensuing primary focus (i.e. in Phases II and III) will be on PM, secondary on air toxics, and tertiary on ozone.  Incommensurate 

  7. 2009 Update All of FL meeting 1997 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for O3 But several areas may not meet 2008 NAAQS

  8. 2009 Update All of FL meeting 1997 and 2006 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5 Designations for 2006 PM2.5 NAAQS

  9. Phase II: Filling in the knowledge gaps “Pensacola 32503” Mobile Air Quality Laboratory at the OJ Semmes Elementary School, July 15 – August 14, 2003

  10. Trends of the major air pollutants measured at OJS and other sites between July 15 and August 15, 2003

  11. Fine particulate matter composition measured at OJS between July 18 and August 12, 2003

  12. Mass (top) and fractional (bottom) VOC contributions from each source at the OJS site. Total Mass (ppbv) Relative Composition (%)

  13. Phase II: Filling in the knowledge gaps Key findings:sulfate was a large fraction of the observed ambient PM2.5 loading; organic carbon was likewise found also to be a large fraction of the ambient PM2.5loading; gasoline related sources are the dominate contributors to ambient gaseous VOC concentrations (suggesting also that they are the primary contributors to organic PM). Implications: coal and gasoline combustion were observed to account for most of the Pensacola atmosphere’s particle load during a high pollution event. Additional analyses (see Phase III) are needed to discern between local and regional sources, however.

  14. Phase III: Painting the big picture – part 1 FAQS Model Reanalysis July 5-18, 2001

  15. Model tells same general story as measurements: sulfate, ammonium, and organics most prevalent From where do they come? Modeled PM2.5 Components

  16. Emissions from FL, AL, GA, TN, NC, and SC 10000 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 VOC Emissions (tons per day) 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 North Florida Alabama Georgia Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina 88 150 73 227 212 88 Point 166 320 554 271 400 248 Mobile 267 530 607 504 741 415 Area 58 96 151 89 99 89 Nonroad 3001 8385 8849 3232 3124 3845 Biogenic NOx SO2 NH3 VOCs

  17. Sulfate Sensitivity at Pensacola Key findings:sulfate constitutes half or more of the particulate load, however, sulfate is most sensitive to distant sources.

  18. Ammonium Sensitivity at Pensacola Key findings:ammonium is a significant part of the particulate load, and it is most sensitive to local sources.

  19. Phase III: Painting the big picture – part 2a RAIMI Modeling for Air Toxics – Cancer risks from Point Sources

  20. Phase III: Painting the big picture – part 2a Key Findings: Three areas in Santa Rosa County and one area in Escambia County were estimated to have a possible elevated risk of cancer due to emissions from point sources. Only the Pace community in Santa Rosa County had a significant residential presence in close proximity to the industrial source. The estimated risks are of a magnitude that is consistent with risks found near other industrial sources. Implications: With some exception for residential areas very near or within the industrial zones, emissions from point sources are not a widespread source of cancer risk via the inhalation pathway in the Pensacola area.

  21. Phase III: Painting the big picture – part 2b RAIMI Modeling for Air Toxics – Cancer risks from Mobile Sources

  22. Phase III: Painting the big picture – part 2b Key Findings:elevated cancer and non-cancer risks due to mobile sources are ubiquitous in the Pensacola area with higher risks generally along more highly traveled roadways. Risk diminishes by several orders of magnitude a few hundred meters off the roadway. Implications: residential and other populated areas immediately adjacent to busy roadways may incur significantly elevated cancer and non-cancer risks.

  23. PERCH Air Quality Study An Assessment of Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Air Toxics in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties Final Report available at: http://cure.eas.gatech.edu/~chang/perch Michael E. Chang 404-385-0573 chang@gatech.edu

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