The Manhattan community based particulate study
- TRC Environmental Corp., Chapel Hill, NC (United States)
- Environmental Protection Agency-Region II, New York, NY (United States). Air Programs Branch
This study examines PM10 concentrations in two communities in northern Manhattan over a period of approximately 80 days during July through September 1996. The study was conducted to address community concerns that particulate levels in the neighborhoods caused by diesel bus and truck traffic might be higher than in other parts of Manhattan and cause the higher levels of asthma observed in the two communities. Community representatives were active participants throughout the study, including selecting monitoring sites. Sampling was conducted in two phases with saturation samplers, first, at eight street level locations in the Harlem community and then at seven locations in the Washington Heights community plus one continuing site in Harlem. During both phases, the samplers were located at sites in midtown and downtown Manhattan at which New York State operated dichotomous samplers. In addition, saturation samplers were used at a subset of sites to collect PM2.5 samples and, during Phase 2, samples for analysis of elemental and organic carbon. Community site samples were collected every day and reference site samples about once every three days. Temporal variability for PM10 was greater than spatial variability. Community sites generally had lower PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations than either of the two reference sites, averaging two-thirds to three-fourths the levels at the reference sites. Only the two reference samplers recorded PM10 concentrations that would indicate a likelihood of exceeding the annual PM10 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Based on the PM2.5/PM10 ratio measured at reference and community sites, estimates of PM2.5 from PM10 measurements indicated that most community sites might not meet the annual PM2.5 NAAQS and a few sites might fail to meet the 24-hour NAAQS.
- OSTI ID:
- 361962
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-980632--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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