https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1618-7389
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ABSTRACT
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE), located in southeastern New Mexico, experiences elevated ground-level ozone (O3) exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 70 ppbv. It is situated adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the largest oil and gas (O&G) producing regions in the US. In 2019, the Carlsbad Caverns Air Quality Study (CarCavAQS) was conducted to examine impacts of different sources on ozone precursors, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we use positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of speciated VOCs to characterize VOC sources at CAVE during the study. Seven factors were identified. Three factors composed largely of alkanes and aromatics with different lifetimes were attributed to O&G development and production activities. VOCs in these factors were typical of those emitted by O&G operations. Associated residence time analyses (RTA) indicated their contributions increased in the park during periods of transport from the Permian Basin. These O&G factors were the largest contributor to VOC reactivity with hydroxyl radicals (62%). Two PMF factors were rich in photochemically generated secondary VOCs; one factor contained species with shorter atmospheric lifetimes and one with species with longer lifetimes. RTA of the secondary factors suggested impacts of O&G emissions from regions farther upwind, such as Eagle Ford Shale and Barnett Shale formations. The last two factors were attributed to alkenes likely emitted from vehicles or other combustion sources in the Permian Basin and regional background VOCs, respectively.
Implications: Carlsbad Caverns National Park experiences ground-level ozone exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. Volatile organic compounds are critical precursors to ozone formation. Measurements in the Park identify oil and gas production and development activities as the major contributors to volatile organic compounds. Emissions from the adjacent Permian Basin contributed to increases in primary species that enhanced local ozone formation. Observations of photochemically generated compounds indicate that ozone was also transported from shale formations and basins farther upwind. Therefore, emission reductions of volatile organic compounds from oil and gas activities are important for mitigating elevated O3 in the region.
Acknowledgments
We thank the Carlsbad Caverns National Park staff and scientists for their support with project logistics.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The data from the 2019 CarCavAQS that support the findings of this study are openly available in https://doi.org/10.25675/10217/235481
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this paper can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2023.2266696
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
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Notes on contributors
Da Pan
Da Pan is a Research Scientist I in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
Ilana B. Pollack
Ilana B. Pollack is a Research Scientist III in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
Barkley C. Sive
Barkley C. Sive is an atmospheric chemist in the Air Resources Division of the National Park Service. Dr. Sive serves as the Program Manager for the Gaseous Pollutant Monitoring Program (GPMP).
Andrey Marsavin
Andrey Marsavin is a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University in Atmospheric Science.
Lillian E. Naimie
Lillian E. Naimie is a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University in Atmospheric Science.
Katherine B. Benedict
Katherine B. Benedict is a Research Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Benedict was a Research Scientist in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University during the 2019 field study.
Yong Zhou
Yong Zhou is a Research Scientist II in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
Amy P. Sullivan
Amy P. Sullivan is a Research Scientist III in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
Anthony J. Prenni
Anthony J. Prenni is a Chemist in the Air Resources Division of the National Park Service.
Elana J. Cope
Elana J. Cope is a Ph.D. student at the University of Oregon in Chemistry, and was an undergraduate student at Colorado State University during the 2019 field study.
Julieta F. Juncosa Calahorrano
Julieta F. Juncosa Calahorrano is a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University in Atmospheric Science.
Emily V. Fischer
Emily V. Fischer is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
Bret A. Schichtel
Bret A. Schichtel is a Research Physical Scientist in the Air Resource Division of the National Park Service and an affiliate with the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.
Jeffrey L. Collett
Jeffrey L. Collett, Jr. is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.