CAEE Seminar: Determination of Fine Particle Emission Factors Based on Near Roadway Monitoring Using Fast Response Instruments

The Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering department will host a seminar featuring an Environmental Engineering PhD Candidate at Armour College of Engineering, Dongqi Wen. The seminar topic will be Determination of Fine Particle Emission Factors Based on Near Roadway Monitoring Using Fast Response Instruments.

Abstract

EPA has established a near-road ambient monitoring program that stems from concerns for the health of populations exposed to traffic-related emissions of particles and gases. Recent health studies indicate that fine particles may be responsible for some of the adverse health effects attributed to ambient particle matter, including asthma and increased illness, hospitalizations, and mortality rates. Ultra-fine particles with diameters between 0.01 and 0.1 microns are believed to penetrate deeper into the lungs and remain lodged there, causing negative impacts on health because of their small size. New sampling procedures will include evaluating ambient concentrations of pollutants emitted from vehicles and measuring emissions of pollutants for which new air quality standards may be considered, such as fine particles and carbon monoxide. This speech presents Ultrafine particle (UFP) emission factors as a function of vehicle volume, speed, and level of roadway service (congestion and free flow) using 1) concurrent 5-minute measurements of UFPs and carbon monoxide (CO) concentration, wind speed, and direction, traffic volume and speed near a roadway that is restricted to light-duty vehicles (LDVs) and 2) inverse dispersion model calculations. The analysis assumes that air quality models such as CALINE4 adequately describe the dilution process due to traffic and atmospheric turbulence. The approach used to verify this assumption was to use an emission factor model (MOVES) to determine emission factors for CO (emission factors for UFPs were not available from the MOVES database) and then estimate dilution factors using measured CO concentrations.