Air quality measurements—From rubber bands to tapping the rainbow

Figures & data

Figure 1. Evolution of PM filter samplers from the 1950s to present, from upper left to lower right.

Figure 2. Filter samples are commonly acquired in PM compliance and speciation networks (IMPROVE, 2017; U.S.EPA, 2017i). Shading indicates the analyses and outputs that are currently obtained from these samples. Nonshaded boxes show additional possible analyses for source markers and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) end products applicable to sample remnants or solution extracts. More descriptions of analytical methods and specific chemical species are detailed in Chow and Watson (2013) and Watson et al. (2016) Abbreviations are: (1) FTIR, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy; (2) GRAV, gravimetric analysis; (3) IC-CD, ion chromatography with conductivity detection; (4) IC-PAD, IC with pulsed amperometric detection; (5) ICP-MS, inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry; (6) ID-TD-GC/MS, in situ derivatization–thermal desorption–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; (7) TD-GC/MS, thermal desorption–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; (8) TOC, total organic carbon analysis; (9) TOR/TOT, thermal–optical reflectance and transmittance for organic and elemental carbon (OC and EC); (10) UV-VIS, ultraviolet–visible light absorption (200–1100 nm) on filters; (11) XRF, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy; (12) WSOC, water-soluble organic carbon; and (13) WSON, water-soluble organic nitrogen.

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of the data verification process (Environment Canada, 2015).

Figure 4. Examples of monitoring locations for selected pollutants from long-term continental U.S. networks. More specific maps by pollutant and location are available online (CIRA, 2017; EPA, 2017c).

Table 1. Example field programs characterizing U.S. air quality after 1990.

Study	Objective	Sponsor	Location	Time/duration	Reference
NARE	O3 transport from United States to North Atlantic	NOAA	Northeast United States to North Atlantic Ocean	1991–1992; campaigns include aircraft	(Penkett et al., 1994)
SOS	Characterize O3 in with NOx and VOC [natural VOC]	EPA, EPRI, NSF	Deep South—AL, GA, and TN	1992–1999; several short term campaigns	(Chameides and Cowling, 1995)
SJVAQS/AUSPEX	O3 and aerosol chemistry and transport	CARB/PG&E	California Central Valley and Coastal Urban interaction	1990–1994, various short campaigns	(Solomon and Silver, 1994)
BRAVO	Transboundary pollution and visibility	SPA, NPS, TxCEQ	Southern Texas	1995; July–October (plus 4-year data analysis)	(Pitchford et al., 2004)
SCOS97-NARSTO	O3 and precursor chemistry and transport	CARB, EPA, NARSTO	Southern California, surface measurement and aircraft flights	Summer 1997	(Croes and Fujita, 2003)
NFRAQS^a	Local and regional haze chemistry	NOAA, CDEQ	Colorado—surface monitoring and aircraft	Winter, 1998	(Watson et al., 1998c)
SUPERSITES	Aerosol chemistry and measurements—health-related studies	EPA	8 sites (New York, NY, Baltimore, MD, Atlanta, GA, St. Louis, MO, Los Angeles, CA, Fresno, CA, Houston, TX, Pittsburgh, PA)	1999–2007	(Solomon et al., 2008)
NEAQS	O3 chemistry and transport	NOAA	New England monitoring and aircraft	Summer 2002	(NOAA, 2017c)
CRPAQS	PM chemistry, transport, and sources	CARB, EPA, PG&E, SJVUAPCD, BAAQMD	Central California	1999–2000	(Watson et al., 1998b)
SEARCH	Local–regional contrasts; combined gases and aerosols	SCS, EPRI	Four urban/rural sites in AL, GA, MS. FL	1999–2016 continuous	(Hansen et al., 2003; Hansen et al., 2006)
CALNEX	O3 and aerosol chemistry from air pollution to climate change	NOAA	Southern California Central Valley interaction; surface and aircraft	Spring 2010	(NOAA, 2017a)
SAS/SOAS	Regional O3 and aerosol chemistry from interactions with anthropogenic vs. natural emissions.	NSF, NOAA, EPRI, SCS	Rural AL site, support from GA and TN sites	June–July 2013 and summer 2013	(NCAR, 2017b)
SENEX (part of SAS)	Tropospheric O3 and aerosols; plume reactions	NOAA	Aircraft plume in regional southeastern US	Summer 2013	(NOAA, 2017b)

Note. Most of these programs were science oriented but designed to answer policy-relevant questions. Websites, summary articles, or project reports are referenced here. Many more publications were produced on specific topics with each program.

^aFRAPPE (NCAR, 2017a) is a more recent Front Range experiment.

Figure 5. Example of a contemporary SEARCH station measuring gases and particles along with surface meteorological parameters at nonurban location in Yorkville, GA, that acquired data during 1999–2016. (Photo courtesy of Eric Edgerton.)

Table 2. Environmental Data Management Principles (NRC, 2007).

Environmental data should be archived and accessible. Data-generating activities should include adequate resources to support end-to-end data management. Environmental data management activities should recognize user needs. Effective interagency (stakeholder) and international partnerships are essential. Metadata are essential for data management. Data and metadata require expert stewardship. A formal, ongoing process, with broad community input, is needed to decide what data to archive and what data not to archive. An effective data archive should provide for discovery, access, and integration. Effective data management requires a formal ongoing planning process.

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