Ambient fine particulate matter (PM{sub 2.5}) sampling and analysis in the upper Ohio River Valley
On July 17, 1997, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to address ambient air concentrations of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM{sub 2.5}). The new PM{sub 2.5} standard establishes a 24-hour average concentration limit of 65 ug/m{sup 3} and an annual mean concentration limit of 15 ug/m{sup 3} to protect human health from both chronic and acute effects associated with the respiration of fine particulate matter. The EPA also proposed regional haze regulations on July 31, 1997, focused on the impact of PM{sub 2.5} on visibility impairment in Class 1 (pristine) areas of the US. The FY98 Congressional Appropriations called for the US Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy (DOE-FE) to initiate a research program to address these technical and scientific issues from the standpoint of the impact of the new standard on coal-based power systems. The overall goal of the DOE-FE fine particulate program is to ensure that the best science and technology are available for any regulatory decision-making related to the health and environmental impacts of ambient fine-particulate matter and regional haze. This goal will be achieved through a well-focused, highly-leveraged research program that includes ambient air quality monitoring and sample analysis, atmospheric chemistry and pollutant formation and transport studies, source emissions characterization, and cost-effective control technology development. Where opportunities for synergism exist, the program may also address other ambient air quality issues, such as ground-level ozone and mercury, and the impact of fine particulate matter on climate change. The upper Ohio River Valley Project (UORVP) represents the largest component of DOE-FE ambient PM{sub 2.5} monitoring activities. This effort involves the installation and operation of ambient fine particulate monitoring sites in an area encompassing eastern Ohio, northwestern West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania.
- Research Organization:
- Advanced Technology Systems, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC26-98FT40456
- OSTI ID:
- 20013490
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF AMBIENT FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM2.5)DATA OBTAINED FROM URBAN AND RURAL MONITORING SITES ALONG THE UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF AMBIENT FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (PM2.5) DATA OBTAINED FROM URBAN AND RURAL MONITORING SITES ALONG THE UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY