The AQA workgroup summary: Telling the OTAG ozone story with data
- Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)
- Southeastern States Air Resource Managers, Atlanta GA (United States)
This paper is the summary of a final report which was prepared by the Air Quality Analysis (AQA) Workgroup of the Ozone Transport Assessment Group (OTAG) to aid the deliberations of the OTAG Policy Group with policy-relevant information. The ozone problem addressed by the Workgroup stems from the existence of nonattainment areas in the OTAG domain and that some nonattainment areas are experiencing considerable influx of ozone across their boundaries. The analysis of more than 600 monitoring stations` data, shows that the highest average concentrations of ozone (60--80 ppb) within the domain roughly coincide with the highest emission densities of anthropogenic NO{sub x} and VOC: near major metropolitan areas and along the industrial Ohio River Valley. The ozone levels at the edges of the OTAG domain correspond to the tropospheric background range of 30--50 ppb. Ten-year trend analysis shows a decline of 120 and 80-ppb exceedances in the Northeast. However, the reductions of these exceedances over the entire domain is less pronounced, particularly if one disregards the anomalous high ozone year of 1988. Low wind speeds, <3 meters/sec, enable the accumulation of ozone near local source areas. Higher wind speeds, >6 meters/sec, reduce the concentrations, but contribute to the long-range transport of ozone. The average range of ozone transport implied from an array of diverse methods is between 150 and 500 miles. The transport of ozone manifests itself differently at the local, sub-regional, and regional scales. In general, local (30--150 miles) transport contributes the most to the nonattainment of the 120 ppb ozone standard. Beyond 100--200 miles, the ozone concentrations tend to decrease with increasing transport distances. However, the perceived range depends whether one considers the average concentrations (300--500 miles) or peak concentrations (tens of miles at 120 ppb).
- OSTI ID:
- 361979
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-980632-; TRN: IM9933%%363
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 91. annual meeting and exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association, San Diego, CA (United States), 14-18 Jun 1998; Other Information: PBD: 1998; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 91. annual meeting and exhibition. Bridging international boundaries: Clean production for environmental stewardship; PB: [5000] p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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