Factors influencing concentrations of ambient ozone

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5548577

Argento, V K

Photochemical oxidants and ozone have been of concern as air pollutants since the early 1950's. In April of 1971 a federal ambient air quality standard was promulgated for photochemical oxidants. In January of 1979 this standard was revised to the current value of 120 ppb. Since the promulgation of these standards for photochemical oxidants and then for ozone, the various states have been charged by the US Environmental Protection Agency with developing plans to attain the ozone standard. As a federal requirement, these plans have had to demonstrate reductions of hydrocarbon emissions in order to demonstrate an ability to attain the standard. A series of plans, each successively more stringent than its predecessor, have been implemented to attain the standard. Unfortunately, in almost every case, these control plans have not resulted in any significant reductions in ambient ozone levels. A review of the actual air quality data collected at sites throughout Texas demonstrate that an ozone control plan based on reducing emissions of hydrocarbons has essentially no chance for success. Examination of other conditions which relate to elevated ozone concentrations reveal that the most significant factor associated with elevated ozone concentrations are meteorological conditions over which there is essentially no control. Principal among these factors is ambient temperature. Additionally, the discovery of a tendency for ozone concentrations to rise and fall in relative unison at sites separated by great distances is very surprising. This uniformity in trends of ozone concentrations over large areas suggests that the cause of elevated ozone concentrations is more likely a macroscale phenomenon rather than the result of emissions of hydrocarbons, or any other precursor pollutants, from urban areas.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Dallas, TX (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5548577
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AIR QUALITY
CONTROL
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION VI
HYDROCARBONS
METEOROLOGY
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OZONE
POLLUTION
POLLUTION CONTROL
STANDARDS
TEXAS
USA