Meteorological factors affecting ambient concentration of acid aerosols

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:422937

Zelenka, M P ^[1]

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1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

This paper examines the relationship between meteorological parameters and acid aerosol concentrations. By using surface and upper-air meteorological data, the variables associated with high levels of aerosol strong acidity (H{sup +}) are better elucidated. Ambient concentrations of aerosol strong acidity that were collected in Uniontown, Pennsylvania during the summer of 1990 were evaluated to determine the relationships between meteorology and the magnitude of the H{sup +} concentrations. The dates on which the meteorological measurements were observed coincided with the collection of the ambient H{sup +} measurements. For the purposes of this paper, ambient H{sup +} concentrations greater than or equal to 300 nmol m{sup {minus}3} will be labeled an episode. This value corresponds to approximately one standard deviation from the arithmetic mean of all H{sup +} measurements taken in 1990. A statistical definition for an H{sup +} episode was used since no basis exists at this time for defining an episode based on epidemiological evidence. Air quality measurements consisted of fine fraction aerosols and analyzed for total particulate strong acidity (H{sup +}), ammonia (NH{sub 3}), nitric acid (HNO{sub 3}), nitrous acid (HNO{sub 2}), ammonium (NH{sub 4}{sup +}), and sulfate (SO{sub 4}{sup 2{minus}}).

• Sponsoring Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 422937
• Report Number(s): CONF-960127--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
METEOROLOGY
NITRIC ACID
NITROUS ACID
PENNSYLVANIA
SULFATES