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Abstract
With the promulgation of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS or standard) for 8-hr ozone (O3), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued modeling guidance that advocated the use of results from photochemical air quality models in a relative sense. In doing so, the EPA provided guidance on how to calculate relative response factors (RRFs) that can project current design value (DV) mixing ratios into the future for the purpose of determining the attainment status with respect to the O3 standard. The RRFs recommended by the EPA represent the average response of the photochemical model over a broad range of O3 mixing ratios above a specified cutoff threshold. However, it is known that O3 response to emission reductions of limiting precursors (i.e., NOx and/or VOC) is greater on days with higher O3 mixing ratios compared to days with lower mixing ratios. In this study, we present a segmented RRF concept termed band-RRF, which takes into account the different model responses at different O3 mixing ratios. The new band-RRF concept is demonstrated in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) region of California for the 1-hr and 8-hr O3 standards. The 1-hr O3 analysis is relevant to work done in support of the SJV O3 State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted to the EPA in 2013. The 8-hr example for the future year of 2019 is presented for illustrative purposes only. Further work will be conducted with attainment deadline of 2032 as part of upcoming SIPs for the 0.075 parts per million (ppm) 8-hr O3 standard. The applicability of the band-RRF concept to the particulate matter (PM2.5) standards is also discussed.
Implications:
Results of photochemical models are used in regulatory applications in a relative sense using relative response factors (RRFs), which represent the impacts of emissions reductions over a wide range of ozone (O3) values. It is possible to extend the concept of RRFs to account for the fact that higher O3 mixing ratios (both 1-hr and 8-hr) respond more to emissions controls of limiting precursors than do lower O3 mixing ratios. We demonstrate this extended concept, termed band-RRF, for the 1-hr and 8-hr O3 National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard) in the San Joaquin Valley of California. This extension can also be made applicable to the 24-hr PM2.5 and annual PM2.5 standards.
Acknowledgment
The authors thank Karen Magliano, Mena Shah, and Lawrence Larsen of the California Air Resources Board and Scott Bohning of the EPA Region 9 for providing them with helpful comments.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Sarika Kulkarni
Sarika Kulkarni, Ph.D., and Daniel Chau, Ph.D., are air resources engineers in the Modeling and Meteorology Branch of the Air Quality Planning and Science Division of the California Air Resources Board.
Ajith P. Kaduwela
Ajith P. Kaduwela, Ph.D., is a staff air pollution specialist in the Modeling and Meteorology Branch of the Air Quality Planning and Science Division of the California Air Resources Board. He is also affiliated with the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis.
Jeremy C. Avise
Jeremy C. Avise, Ph.D., is an air resources supervisor in the Modeling and Meteorology Branch of the Air Quality Planning and Science Division of the California Air Resources Board. He is also affiliated with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University, Pullman.
John A. DaMassa
John A. DaMassa, M.S., is Chief of the Modeling and Meteorology Branch of the Air Quality Planning and Science Division of the California Air Resources Board.
Daniel Chau
Sarika Kulkarni, Ph.D., and Daniel Chau, Ph.D., are air resources engineers in the Modeling and Meteorology Branch of the Air Quality Planning and Science Division of the California Air Resources Board.