The results of a collaborative effort to measure and speciate PM{sub 2.5} in Houston and other Texas cities
In 1997--98, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), the City of Houston and Houston Regional Monitoring Network (HRM) (a consortium of 46 industries) pooled resources to design and implement a comprehensive measurement program to assess PM{sub 2.5} levels in the Greater Houston area and other Texas cities. This effort was unique because it was the first public/private partnership to engage in a comprehensive study of PM{sub 2.5} in the United States. This paper focuses primarily on the year-long program to conduct PM{sub 2.5} measurements at seven sites in Houston and at two additional transport sites. Measurement data are also presented for other Texas cities including Dallas, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and El Paso. The preliminary results of this study have been previously reported. The purpose of the early PM{sub 2.5} study was to assess levels of PM{sub 2.5} in Houston and other Texas cities and to identify those chemical constituents that comprise the PM{sub 2.5} fraction. The results suggest that the Houston area may exceed the annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for PM{sub 2.5}. Furthermore, the analysis of data from predominantly transport sites, indicate the presence of an elevated regional background concentration of PM{sub 2.5}. Chemical speciation shows that sulfate, total carbon, and occasionally geological material were the largest contributors to the PM{sub 2.5} fraction in Houston and eastern Texas. These results will be used to identify potential sources of PM{sub 2.5} in Houston and to help design future studies to further characterize those sources and the factors that contribute to elevated PM{sub 2.5} concentrations in Texas. This paper describes the measurement techniques used to collect and speciate fine particulate matter. Ambient concentrations of PM{sub 2.5} are correlated with ozone and meteorological parameters in Houston. The role of pollutant transport is also addressed.
- OSTI ID:
- 20002066
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990608-; TRN: IM200002%%66
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Air and Waste 92nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition, St. Louis, MO (US), 06/20/1999--06/24/1999; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating Systems: Windows 3.1, '95, '98 and NT; Macintosh; and UNIX; PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Air and Waste 92nd annual meeting and exhibition proceedings, [9500] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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