BTEX exposures in an area impacted by industrial and mobile sources: Source attribution and impact of averaging time

Presto, Albert A.; Dallmann, Timothy R.; Gu, Peishi; Rao, U. R. K.

doi:10.1080/10962247.2016.1139517

Cited by 21 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Many other sources, such as traffic, have less activity during overnight hours, whereas the industrial sources operate 24 hours per day. Thus, there are local enhancements of PM2.5 overnight at the Industrial sites [23,24] . While average PM2.5 concentrations were lower at the Industrial sites in the post-COVID compared to pre-COVID periods (25% reduction), these sites still had higher concentrations than all other site groups (1.1µg/m 3 ).…”

Section: High Traffic (N = 3)mentioning

confidence: 92%

Impacts of Modifiable Factors on Ambient Air Pollution: A Case Study of COVID-19 Shutdowns

Gruener

Li²,

Eilenberg³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Modifiable sources of air pollution such as traffic, cooking, and electricity generation emissions can be modulated either by changing activity levels or source intensity. Although air pollution regulations typically target reducing emission factors rather than altering activity, the COVID-19 related closures offered a novel opportunity to observe and quantify the impact of activity levels of modifiable factors on ambient air pollution in real-time. We use data from a network of twenty-seven low-cost Real-time Affordable Multi-Pollutant (RAMP) sensor packages deployed throughout urban and suburban Pittsburgh along with data from EPA regulatory monitors. The RAMP locations were divided into four site groups based on land use (High Traffic, Urban Residential, Suburban Residential, and Industrial). Concentrations of PM2.5, CO, and NO2 following the COVID-related closures at each site group were compared to measurements from “business as usual” periods in March 2019 and 2020. Overall, PM2.5 concentrations decreased across the domain by 3 μg/m3. Intra-day variabilities of the pollutants were computed to attribute pollutant enhancements to specific emission sources (i.e. traffic and industrial emissions). There was no significant change in the industrial related intra-day variability of PM2.5 at the Industrial sites following the COVID-related closures. The morning rush hour induced CO and NO2 concentrations at the High Traffic sites were reduced by 57% and 43%, respectively, which is consistent with the observed reduction in commuter traffic (~50%). The morning rush hour PM2.5 enhancement from traffic emissions fell from ~1.5 μg/m3 to ~0 μg/m3 across all site groups. This translates to a reduction of 0.125 μg/m3 in the daily average PM2.5 concentration. If PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are tightened these calculations shed light on to what extent reductions in traffic related emissions are able to aid in meeting more stringent regulations.

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Section: High Traffic (N = 3)mentioning

confidence: 92%

Impacts of Modifiable Factors on Ambient Air Pollution: A Case Study of COVID-19 Shutdowns

Gruener

Li²,

Eilenberg³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…Contamination by organic compounds in a water environment is a serious threat to human health and lives [3,4]. Some volatile organic compounds, primarily single benzene ring compounds, such as benzene, toluene and xylenes [5], are widely found in the air [6], water [7][8][9] and soil [10]. Xylenes are one kind of aromatic hydrocarbons with a single benzene ring with two methyl groups attached in three isomeric forms, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene and 1,4-dimethylbenzene, also called o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene, respectively [11] (figure 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluorescence and photophysical properties of xylene isomers in water: with experimental and theoretical approaches

Khan¹,

Wu²,

Liu³

et al. 2018

R. Soc. open sci.

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A thorough analysis of the photophysical properties involved in electronic transitions in excitation–emission spectra of xylene isomers has been carried out using the time-dependent density functional theory (PBEPBE/6-31 + G(d,p)) method. For the first time a structural and spectroscopic investigation to distinguish isomers of xylene, a widespread priority pollutant, was conducted experimentally and theoretically. The fluorescence properties of xylene isomers (sole and mixture (binary and ternary)) in water were studied. The fluorescence peak intensities of xylenes were linearly correlated to concentration, in the order of p-xylene > o-xylene > m-xylene at an excitation/emission wavelength (ex/em) of 260 nm/285 nm for o-, m-xylene and ex/em 265 nm/290 nm for p-xylene at the same concentration. The theoretical excitation/emission wavelengths were at ex/em 247 nm/267 nm, 248 nm/269 nm and 251 nm/307 nm for o-, m- and p-xylene, respectively. The vertical excitation and emission state energies of p-xylene (ex/em 4.94 eV/4.03 eV) were lower and the internal conversion energy difference (0.90 eV) was higher than those of m-xylene (ex/em 5.00 eV/4.60 eV) (0.4 eV) and o-xylene (ex/em 5.02 eV/4.64 eV) (0.377 eV). The order of theoretical emission and oscillator strength (0.0187 > 0.0175 > 0.0339) for p-xylene > o-xylene > m-xylene was observed to be in agreement with the experimental fluorescence intensities. These findings provide a novel fast method to distinguish isomers based on their photophysical properties.

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“…Overall, BC and NO 2 were predicted to account for 49 and 46 CHD deaths, respectively, within the entire county. When divided into those estimated to occur in EJ tracts vs non-EJ regions, approximately 40% were represented in EJ tracts (38% for BC, a, 42% for NO 2 , b) despite the fact that the population of EJ tracts represents only 27% of the entire county population (c) LUR model incorporating mobile source plume analysis and mobile sampling may improve model application to traffic-related pollutants, but may underestimate the contribution from fixed point sources [50]. Hence, the estimated overall effect of BC may under-represent those adverse effects arising from industrial BC emissions from such facilities as coke and steel plants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A risk-based model to assess environmental justice and coronary heart disease burden from traffic-related air pollutants

et al. 2020

Self Cite

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Background: Communities need to efficiently estimate the burden from specific pollutants and identify those most at risk to make timely informed policy decisions. We developed a risk-based model to estimate the burden of black carbon (BC) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) on coronary heart disease (CHD) across environmental justice (EJ) and non-EJ populations in Allegheny County, PA. Methods: Exposure estimates in census tracts were modeled via land use regression and analyzed in relation to US Census data. Tracts were ranked into quartiles of exposure (Q1-Q4). A risk-based model for estimating the CHD burden attributed to BC and NO 2 was developed using county health statistics, census tract level exposure estimates, and quantitative effect estimates available in the literature. Results: For both pollutants, the relative occurrence of EJ tracts (> 20% poverty and/or > 30% non-white minority) in Q2-Q4 compared to Q1 progressively increased and reached a maximum in Q4. EJ tracts were 4 to 25 times more likely to be in the highest quartile of exposure compared to the lowest quartile for BC and NO 2 , respectively. Pollutantspecific risk values (mean [95% CI]) for CHD mortality were higher in EJ tracts (5.49 × 10 − 5 [5.05 × 10 − 5-5.92 × 10 − 5 ]; 5.72 × 10 − 5 [5.44 × 10 − 5-6.01 × 10 − 5 ] for BC and NO 2 , respectively) compared to non-EJ tracts (3.94 × 10 − 5 [3.66 × 10 − 5-4.23 × 10 − 5 ]; 3.49 × 10 − 5 [3.27 × 10 − 5-3.70 × 10 − 5 ] for BC and NO 2 , respectively). While EJ tracts represented 28% of the county population, they accounted for about 40% of the CHD mortality attributed to each pollutant. EJ tracts are disproportionately skewed toward areas of high exposure and EJ residents bear a greater risk for air pollution-related disease compared to other county residents. Conclusions: We have combined a risk-based model with spatially resolved long-term exposure estimates to predict CHD burden from air pollution at the census tract level. It provides quantitative estimates of effects that can be used to assess possible health disparities, track temporal changes, and inform timely local community policy decisions. Such an approach can be further expanded to include other pollutants and adverse health endpoints.

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BTEX exposures in an area impacted by industrial and mobile sources: Source attribution and impact of averaging time

Cited by 21 publications

References 33 publications

Impacts of Modifiable Factors on Ambient Air Pollution: A Case Study of COVID-19 Shutdowns

Impacts of Modifiable Factors on Ambient Air Pollution: A Case Study of COVID-19 Shutdowns

Fluorescence and photophysical properties of xylene isomers in water: with experimental and theoretical approaches

A risk-based model to assess environmental justice and coronary heart disease burden from traffic-related air pollutants

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