Characterization of the Ambient Air Quality in Syracuse, NY and Identification of its Origins

Primary Partner: Clarkson University
Project Type: CARTI II
Web Address: http://www.clarkson.edu/cares/index.html

Technical Description:

This material is based upon work supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Award Number EPA 05 X-83232501-0.

A program of urban air quality monitoring is proposed that will employ two monitoring towers in the City of Syracuse at:

1. Upper Onondaga Park and
2. Syracuse Center of Excellence (CoE) Headquarters site. (For data, click here)

These towers are being instrumented to measure pollutant gases (carbon monoxide, ozone, and NOx) as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) at several heights above ground level. In addition, measurements will be made of heat, water vapor, and CO2 fluxes at both sites. Semi-continuous measurements of particle number, particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), and mercury will be made near ground level. PM2.5 samples will be collected for chemical composition analysis including elements, ions, organic and elemental carbon (OC/EC), and selected molecular markers every sixth day over a two-year period. Finally, we will conduct two-week intensive studies during each calendar quarter for the two year period. During these intensive surveys, we will measure particulate sulfate, OC/EC, black carbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), PM2.5 mass, and particle size distributions as well as pollutant gases. Traffic on the two major highways (I-81 and I-690) adjacent to the CoE Headquarter site will be monitored with machine vision systems to provide traffic counts in five vehicle classes for each road.

Expected Outcomes:

We will model the evolution of the traffic emissions in an analogous fashion to that done for freeways in Los Angeles, and develop empirical models that relate automated traffic data and meteorological measurements to predict pollutant concentrations at the CoE HQ site.

Accomplishments:

This study has been postponed due to delays in the development of the major facilities with which our monitors were to be associated. At Upper Onondaga Park, there are delays in the refurbishing of the fire barn where we were to have housed our instruments. At the CoE Headquarters Building site, the delay occured because the deployment of the monitoring systems to the CoE site based on the discovery of hazardous materials in the area of the tower.

All of the intensive sampling campaigns were completed using the Clarkson Mobile Air Pollution Laboratory. Those data are being evaluated. On a local scale, near-CoE site local measurements were completed in March and June 2009. The Autoscope Traffic cameras were mounted on the top of the CoE tower in June 2009. The two traffic cameras are monitoring the traffic volume, speed and size classes in real time. A Graphical User Interface to process the traffic data is in development. Full engagement in the project will take place when all the facilities are completed and ready for use.

Presentations and Publications:

Spatial-Temporal Variability of Air Pollutants In Syracuse, NY. J. Ehrhardt, P. K. Hopke, T. Holsen, E. McAddy, X. Wang, K. M. Zhang, and M. J. Mitchell, presented to the 2008 Northeast Regional Meeting (NERM) of the American Chemical Society, Burlington, VT, June 29 - July 2, 2008.

Characterization of the Ambient Air Quality in Syracuse, NY: Monitoring Towers in Residential and Urban Environments. Mark Omara, Edmund McAddy, Philip Hopke, Thomas Holsen, Myron Mitchell, Shannon Buckley, Patrick McHale, David Lyons, K. Max Zhang, and Glen Lewis, presented to The 8th Annual Syracuse Symposium on Environmental and Energy Systems, Syracuse, NY, September 28, 2008.

Characterization of Traffic Impacts on Syracuse CoE Headquarters Site. Xing Wang, K. Max Zhang, Philip K. Hopke, Thomas Holsen, Edmund McAddy, Myron Mitchell, and David Lyons, presented to The 8th Annual Syracuse Symposium on Environmental and Energy Systems, Syracuse, NY, September 28, 2008.

History of Syracuse Air Quality. Shannon Buckley, Myron Mitchell, Patrick McHale, Philip Hopke, Max Zhang, Tom Holsen, Edmund McAddy, and Mark Omara, presented to The 8th Annual Syracuse Symposium on Environmental and Energy Systems, Syracuse, NY, September 28, 2008.

Temporal and Spatial Characterization of Ambient Air Quality Near the SyracuseCoE HQ Site in Syracuse, NY. Jennifer Ehrhardt, Philip K. Hopke, Thomas Holsen, Edmund Mc-Addy, Xing Wang, K. Max Zhang, Myron Mitchell, presented to The 8th Annual Syracuse Symposium on Environmental and Energy Systems, Syracuse, NY, September 28, 2008.

Spatial Distribution of the Ambient Fine Aerosol in Syracuse, NY. E. McAddy, J. Ehrhardt, P.K. Hopke, T.M. Holsen, X. Wang, K. M. Zhang, M. Mitchell, presented to the 27th Annual Conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research, Orlando, FL, October 20-24, 2008.

Characterization of Near-Roadway Air Pollution in Syracuse, NY. X. Wang, K.M. Zhang, J. Ehrhardt, P.K. Hopke, T.M. Holsen, M. Mitchell, presented to the 27th Annual Conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research, Orlando, FL, October 20-24, 2008.

Researcher Information:



http://people.clarkson.edu/~phopke/

http://www.clarkson.edu/camp/faculty/hopke.html