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Farmer DK, Vance ME, Poppendieck D, Abbatt J, Alves MR, Dannemiller KC, Deeleepojananan C, Ditto J, Dougherty B, Farinas OR, Goldstein AH, Grassian VH, Huynh H, Kim D, King JC, Kroll J, Li J, Link MF, Mael L, Mayer K, Martin AB, Morrison G, O'Brien R, Pandit S, Turpin BJ, Webb M, Yu J, Zimmerman SM. The chemical assessment of surfaces and air (CASA) study: using chemical and physical perturbations in a test house to investigate indoor processes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2024. [PMID: 38953218 DOI: 10.1039/d4em00209a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The Chemical Assessment of Surfaces and Air (CASA) study aimed to understand how chemicals transform in the indoor environment using perturbations (e.g., cooking, cleaning) or additions of indoor and outdoor pollutants in a well-controlled test house. Chemical additions ranged from individual compounds (e.g., gaseous ammonia or ozone) to more complex mixtures (e.g., a wildfire smoke proxy and a commercial pesticide). Physical perturbations included varying temperature, ventilation rates, and relative humidity. The objectives for CASA included understanding (i) how outdoor air pollution impacts indoor air chemistry, (ii) how wildfire smoke transports and transforms indoors, (iii) how gases and particles interact with building surfaces, and (iv) how indoor environmental conditions impact indoor chemistry. Further, the combined measurements under unperturbed and experimental conditions enable investigation of mitigation strategies following outdoor and indoor air pollution events. A comprehensive suite of instruments measured different chemical components in the gas, particle, and surface phases throughout the study. We provide an overview of the test house, instrumentation, experimental design, and initial observations - including the role of humidity in controlling the air concentrations of many semi-volatile organic compounds, the potential for ozone to generate indoor nitrogen pentoxide (N2O5), the differences in microbial composition between the test house and other occupied buildings, and the complexity of deposited particles and gases on different indoor surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine K Farmer
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Marina E Vance
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | | | - Jon Abbatt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael R Alves
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karen C Dannemiller
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Sustainability Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Jenna Ditto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Dougherty
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Olivia R Farinas
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Allen H Goldstein
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vicki H Grassian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Han Huynh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Deborah Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jon C King
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jesse Kroll
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jienan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Michael F Link
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Liora Mael
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Kathryn Mayer
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Andrew B Martin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Glenn Morrison
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rachel O'Brien
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shubhrangshu Pandit
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Barbara J Turpin
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Marc Webb
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Lee H, Jaffe DA. Impact of wildfire smoke on ozone concentrations using a Generalized Additive model in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, 2006-2022. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2024; 74:116-130. [PMID: 38051007 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2291197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the impact of wildfires on maximum daily 8-hr average ozone concentrations (MDA8 O3) at four sites in Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah for May to September for 2006-2022. Smoke days, which were identified by a combination of overhead satellite smoke detection and surface PM2.5 data and accounted for approximately 9% of the total number of days, exhibited O3 levels 6.8 to 8.9 ppb higher than no-smoke days and were predominantly characterized by high daily maximum temperatures and low relative humidity. A Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was developed to quantify the impact of wildfire contributions to O3. The GAM, which provides smooth functions that make the interpretation of relationships more intuitive, employed 17 predictors and demonstrated reliable performance in various evaluation metrics. The mean of the residuals for all sites was approximately zero for the training and cross-validation data and 5.1 ppb for smoke days. We developed three approaches to estimate the contribution of smoke to O3 from the model residuals. These generate a minimum and maximum contribution for each smoke day. The average of the minimum and maximum wildfire contributions to O3 for the SLC sites was 5.1 and 8.5 ppb, respectively. Between 2006 and 2022, an increasing trend in the wildfire contributions to O3 was observed in SLC. Moreover, trends of the fourth-highest MDA8 O3 before and after removing the wildfire contributions to O3 at the SLC Hawthorne site in 2006-2022 were quite different. Whereas the unadjusted data do not meet the current O3 standard, after removing the contributions from wildfires the SLC region is close to achieving levels that are consistent with meeting the O3 standard. We also found that the wildfire contribution during smoke days was particularly high under conditions of high temperature, high PM2.5 concentration, and low cloud fraction.Implications: In this study, we quantified the impact of wildfires on maximum daily 8-hr average ozone concentrations (MDA8 O3) in Salt Lake City, Utah, using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM). The GAM results demonstrate the importance of wildfires as contributors to O3 air pollution. Our results suggest that states could use the GAM approach to assist in quantifying the wildfire contribution to MDA8 O3 under the U.S. EPA exceptional events rule. These findings also highlight the need for strategies to manage wildfires and their subsequent impacts on air quality in an era of climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haebum Lee
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, USA
| | - Daniel A Jaffe
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, University of Washington, Bothell, WA, USA
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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3
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Pollack IB, Pan D, Marsavin A, Cope EJ, Juncosa Calahorrano J, Naimie L, Benedict KB, Sullivan AP, Zhou Y, Sive BC, Prenni AJ, Schichtel BA, Collett J, Fischer EV. Observations of ozone, acyl peroxy nitrates, and their precursors during summer 2019 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2023; 73:951-968. [PMID: 37850745 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2023.2271436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE) is located in southeastern New Mexico and is adjacent to the Permian Basin, one of the most productive oil and natural gas (O&G) production regions in the United States. Since 2018, ozone (O3) at CAVE has frequently exceeded the 70 ppbv 8-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard. We examine the influence of regional emissions on O3 formation using observations of O3, nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2), a suite of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), and peroxypropionyl nitrate (PPN). Elevated O3 and its precursors are observed when the wind is from the southeast, the direction of the Permian Basin. We identify 13 days during the July 25 to September 5, 2019 study period when the maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) O3 exceeded 65 ppbv; MDA8 O3 exceeded 70 ppbv on 5 of these days. The results of a positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis are used to identify and attribute source contributions of VOCs and NOx. On days when the winds are from the southeast, there are larger contributions from factors associated with primary O&G emissions; and, on high O3 days, there is more contribution from factors associated with secondary photochemical processing of O&G emissions. The observed ratio of VOCs to NOx is consistently high throughout the study period, consistent with NOx-limited O3 production. Finally, all high O3 days coincide with elevated acyl peroxy nitrate abundances with PPN to PAN ratios > 0.15 ppbv ppbv-1 indicating that anthropogenic VOC precursors, and often alkanes specifically, dominate the photochemistry.Implications: The results above strongly indicate NOx-sensitive photochemistry at Carlsbad Caverns National Park indicating that reductions in NOx emissions should drive reductions in O3. However, the NOx-sensitivity is largely driven by emissions of NOx into a VOC-rich environment, and a high PPN:PAN ratio and its relationship to O3 indicate substantial influence from alkanes in the regional photochemistry. Thus, simultaneous reductions in emissions of NOx and non-methane VOCs from the oil and gas sector should be considered for reducing O3 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Reductions in non-methane VOCs will have the added benefit of reducing formation of other secondary pollutants and air toxics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana B Pollack
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Da Pan
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Andrey Marsavin
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Elana J Cope
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | | | - L Naimie
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - K B Benedict
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Amy P Sullivan
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Y Zhou
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - B C Sive
- National Park Service, Air Resources Division, Lakewood, Colorado, USA
| | - Anthony J Prenni
- National Park Service, Air Resources Division, Lakewood, Colorado, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Bret A Schichtel
- National Park Service, Air Resources Division, Lakewood, Colorado, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeffrey Collett
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Emily V Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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4
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Jin X, Fiore AM, Cohen RC. Space-Based Observations of Ozone Precursors within California Wildfire Plumes and the Impacts on Ozone-NO x-VOC Chemistry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14648-14660. [PMID: 37703172 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The frequency of wildfires in the western United States has escalated in recent decades. Here we examine the impacts of wildfires on ground-level ozone (O3) precursors and the O3-NOx-VOC chemistry from the source to downwind urban areas. We use satellite retrievals of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO, an indicator of VOC) from the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to track the evolution of O3 precursors from wildfires over California from 2018 to 2020. We improved these satellite retrievals by updating the a priori profiles and explicitly accounting for the effects of smoke aerosols. TROPOMI observations reveal that the extensive and intense fire smoke in 2020 led to an overall increase in statewide annual average HCHO and NO2 columns by 16% and 9%. The increase in the level of NO2 offsets the anthropogenic NOx emission reduction from the COVID-19 lockdown. The enhancement of NO2 within fire plumes is concentrated near the regions actively burning, whereas the enhancement of HCHO is far-reaching, extending from the source regions to urban areas downwind due to the secondary production of HCHO from longer-lived VOCs such as ethene. Consequently, a larger increase in NOx occurs in NOx-limited source regions, while a greater increase in HCHO occurs in VOC-limited urban areas, both contributing to more efficient O3 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Jin
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Arlene M Fiore
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ronald C Cohen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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5
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Kabeshita L, Sloat LL, Fischer EV, Kampf S, Magzamen S, Schultz C, Wilkins MJ, Kinnebrew E, Mueller ND. Pathways framework identifies wildfire impacts on agriculture. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:664-672. [PMID: 37550540 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00803-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires are a growing concern to society and the environment in many parts of the world. Within the United States, the land area burned by wildfires has steadily increased over the past 40 years. Agricultural land management is widely understood as a force that alters fire regimes, but less is known about how wildfires, in turn, impact the agriculture sector. Based on an extensive literature review, we identify three pathways of impact-direct, downwind and downstream-through which wildfires influence agricultural resources (soil, water, air and photosynthetically active radiation), labour (agricultural workers) and products (crops and livestock). Through our pathways framework, we highlight the complexity of wildfire-agriculture interactions and the need for collaborative, systems-oriented research to better quantify the magnitude of wildfire impacts and inform the adaptation of agricultural systems to an increasingly fire-prone future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Kabeshita
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Lindsey L Sloat
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Land and Carbon Lab, World Resources Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emily V Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Stephanie Kampf
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Courtney Schultz
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Michael J Wilkins
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Eva Kinnebrew
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Mueller
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Rickly PS, Coggon MM, Aikin KC, Alvarez RJ, Baidar S, Gilman JB, Gkatzelis GI, Harkins C, He J, Lamplugh A, Langford AO, McDonald BC, Peischl J, Robinson MA, Rollins AW, Schwantes RH, Senff CJ, Warneke C, Brown SS. Influence of Wildfire on Urban Ozone: An Observationally Constrained Box Modeling Study at a Site in the Colorado Front Range. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:1257-1267. [PMID: 36607321 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Increasing trends in biomass burning emissions significantly impact air quality in North America. Enhanced mixing ratios of ozone (O3) in urban areas during smoke-impacted periods occur through transport of O3 produced within the smoke or through mixing of pyrogenic volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) with urban nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) to enhance local O3 production. Here, we analyze a set of detailed chemical measurements, including carbon monoxide (CO), NOx, and speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to evaluate the effects of smoke transported from relatively local and long-range fires on O3 measured at a site in Boulder, Colorado, during summer 2020. Relative to the smoke-free period, CO, background O3, OH reactivity, and total VOCs increased during both the local and long-range smoke periods, but NOx mixing ratios remained approximately constant. These observations are consistent with transport of PVOCs (comprised primarily of oxygenates) but not NOx with the smoke and with the influence of O3 produced within the smoke upwind of the urban area. Box-model calculations show that local O3 production during all three periods was in the NOx-sensitive regime. Consequently, this locally produced O3 was similar in all three periods and was relatively insensitive to the increase in PVOCs. However, calculated NOx sensitivities show that PVOCs substantially increase O3 production in the transition and NOx-saturated (VOC-sensitive) regimes. These results suggest that (1) O3 produced during smoke transport is the main driver for O3 increases in NOx-sensitive urban areas and (2) smoke may cause an additional increase in local O3 production in NOx-saturated (VOC-sensitive) urban areas. Additional detailed VOC and NOx measurements in smoke impacted urban areas are necessary to broadly quantify the effects of wildfire smoke on urban O3 and develop effective mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela S Rickly
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Matthew M Coggon
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Kenneth C Aikin
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Raul J Alvarez
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Sunil Baidar
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Jessica B Gilman
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | | | - Colin Harkins
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Jian He
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Aaron Lamplugh
- Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
| | - Andrew O Langford
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Brian C McDonald
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Jeff Peischl
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Michael A Robinson
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Andrew W Rollins
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | | | - Christoph J Senff
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Carsten Warneke
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
| | - Steven S Brown
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado80305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado80309, United States
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7
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Australian Bushfires (2019–2020): Aerosol Optical Properties and Radiative Forcing. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13060867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we present the aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing (RF) of the tropospheric and stratospheric smoke layers, observed by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite, during the extraordinary Australian biomass burning (BB) event in 2019–2020. These BB layers were studied and analyzed within the longitude range 140° E–20° W and the latitude band 20°–60° S, as they were gradually transported from the Australian banks to the South American continent. These layers were found to be trapped within the Andes circulation, staying for longer time periods in the same longitude region. The BB aerosols reached altitudes even up to 22 km amsl., and regarding their optical properties, they were found to be nearly spherical (particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR) < 0.10) in the troposphere; while, in the stratosphere, they were more depolarizing with PLDR values reaching up to 0.20. Fine and ultrafine smoke particles were dominant in the stratosphere, according to the observed Ångström exponent, related to the backscatter coefficients obtained by the pair of wavelengths 532 and 1064 nm (Åb up to 3), in contrast to the Åb values in the troposphere (Åb < 1) indicative of the presence of coarser particles. As the aerosols fend off the source, towards North America, a slightly descending trend was observed in the tropospheric Åb values, while the stratospheric ones were lightly increased. A maximum aerosol optical depth (AOD) value of 0.54 was recorded in the lower troposphere over the fire spots, while, in the stratosphere, AOD values up to 0.29 were observed. Sharp changes of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) concentrations were also recorded by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) in various atmospheric heights over the study region, associated with fire smoke emissions. The tropospheric smoke layers were found to have a negative mean radiative effect, ranging from −12.83 W/m2 at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), to −32.22 W/m2 on the surface (SRF), while the radiative effect of the stratospheric smoke was estimated between −7.36 at the TOA to −18.51 W/m2 at the SRF.
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8
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Kalashnikov DA, Schnell JL, Abatzoglou JT, Swain DL, Singh D. Increasing co-occurrence of fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone extremes in the western United States. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabi9386. [PMID: 34985958 PMCID: PMC8730618 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi9386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires and meteorological conditions influence the co-occurrence of multiple harmful air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone. We examine the spatiotemporal characteristics of PM2.5/ozone co-occurrences and associated population exposure in the western United States (US). The frequency, spatial extent, and temporal persistence of extreme PM2.5/ozone co-occurrences have increased significantly between 2001 and 2020, increasing annual population exposure to multiple harmful air pollutants by ~25 million person-days/year. Using a clustering methodology to characterize daily weather patterns, we identify significant increases in atmospheric ridging patterns conducive to widespread PM2.5/ozone co-occurrences and population exposure. We further link the spatial extent of co-occurrence to the extent of extreme heat and wildfires. Our results suggest an increasing potential for co-occurring air pollution episodes in the western US with continued climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitri A. Kalashnikov
- School of the Environment, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - Jordan L. Schnell
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, NOAA/Global Systems Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - John T. Abatzoglou
- Management of Complex Systems Department, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Daniel L. Swain
- Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
- The Nature Conservancy of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Deepti Singh
- School of the Environment, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, USA
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9
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Xu L, Crounse JD, Vasquez KT, Allen H, Wennberg PO, Bourgeois I, Brown SS, Campuzano-Jost P, Coggon MM, Crawford JH, DiGangi JP, Diskin GS, Fried A, Gargulinski EM, Gilman JB, Gkatzelis GI, Guo H, Hair JW, Hall SR, Halliday HA, Hanisco TF, Hannun RA, Holmes CD, Huey LG, Jimenez JL, Lamplugh A, Lee YR, Liao J, Lindaas J, Neuman JA, Nowak JB, Peischl J, Peterson DA, Piel F, Richter D, Rickly PS, Robinson MA, Rollins AW, Ryerson TB, Sekimoto K, Selimovic V, Shingler T, Soja AJ, St. Clair JM, Tanner DJ, Ullmann K, Veres PR, Walega J, Warneke C, Washenfelder RA, Weibring P, Wisthaler A, Wolfe GM, Womack CC, Yokelson RJ. Ozone chemistry in western U.S. wildfire plumes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabl3648. [PMID: 34878847 PMCID: PMC8654285 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl3648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires are a substantial but poorly quantified source of tropospheric ozone (O3). Here, to investigate the highly variable O3 chemistry in wildfire plumes, we exploit the in situ chemical characterization of western wildfires during the FIREX-AQ flight campaign and show that O3 production can be predicted as a function of experimentally constrained OH exposure, volatile organic compound (VOC) reactivity, and the fate of peroxy radicals. The O3 chemistry exhibits rapid transition in chemical regimes. Within a few daylight hours, the O3 formation substantially slows and is largely limited by the abundance of nitrogen oxides (NOx). This finding supports previous observations that O3 formation is enhanced when VOC-rich wildfire smoke mixes into NOx-rich urban plumes, thereby deteriorating urban air quality. Last, we relate O3 chemistry to the underlying fire characteristics, enabling a more accurate representation of wildfire chemistry in atmospheric models that are used to study air quality and predict climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xu
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Corresponding author. (L.X.); (P.O.W.)
| | - John D. Crounse
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Krystal T. Vasquez
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Allen
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Paul O. Wennberg
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Corresponding author. (L.X.); (P.O.W.)
| | - Ilann Bourgeois
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Steven S. Brown
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Pedro Campuzano-Jost
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Matthew M. Coggon
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Alan Fried
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Georgios I. Gkatzelis
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Hongyu Guo
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Samuel R. Hall
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Thomas F. Hanisco
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Reem A. Hannun
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher D. Holmes
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - L. Gregory Huey
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jose L. Jimenez
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Aaron Lamplugh
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Young Ro Lee
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jin Liao
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD, USA
| | - Jakob Lindaas
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - J. Andrew Neuman
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Jeff Peischl
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Felix Piel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- IONICON Analytik GmbH, Innsbruck, Austria
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dirk Richter
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Pamela S. Rickly
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Michael A. Robinson
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Kanako Sekimoto
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Vanessa Selimovic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | | | - Amber J. Soja
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
- National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA, USA
| | - Jason M. St. Clair
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David J. Tanner
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kirk Ullmann
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - James Walega
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Petter Weibring
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Armin Wisthaler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Institut für Ionenphysik und Angewandte Physik, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Glenn M. Wolfe
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caroline C. Womack
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Robert J. Yokelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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10
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O’Dell K, Bilsback K, Ford B, Martenies SE, Magzamen S, Fischer EV, Pierce JR. Estimated Mortality and Morbidity Attributable to Smoke Plumes in the United States: Not Just a Western US Problem. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2021GH000457. [PMID: 34504989 PMCID: PMC8420710 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
As anthropogenic emissions continue to decline and emissions from landscape (wild, prescribed, and agricultural) fires increase across the coming century, the relative importance of landscape-fire smoke on air quality and health in the United States (US) will increase. Landscape fires are a large source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which has known negative impacts on human health. The seasonal and spatial distribution, particle composition, and co-emitted species in landscape-fire emissions are different from anthropogenic sources of PM2.5. The implications of landscape-fire emissions on the sub-national temporal and spatial distribution of health events and the relative health importance of specific pollutants within smoke are not well understood. We use a health impact assessment with observation-based smoke PM2.5 to determine the sub-national distribution of mortality and the sub-national and sub-annual distribution of asthma morbidity attributable to US smoke PM2.5 from 2006 to 2018. We estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for PM2.5 and 18 gas-phase hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in smoke. Although the majority of large landscape fires occur in the western US, we find the majority of mortality (74%) and asthma morbidity (on average 75% across 2006-2018) attributable to smoke PM2.5 occurs outside the West, due to higher population density in the East. Across the US, smoke-attributable asthma morbidity predominantly occurs in spring and summer. The number of DALYs associated with smoke PM2.5 is approximately three orders of magnitude higher than DALYs associated with gas-phase smoke HAPs. Our results indicate awareness and mitigation of landscape-fire smoke exposure is important across the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn O’Dell
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Kelsey Bilsback
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Bonne Ford
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Sheena E. Martenies
- Department of Kinesiology and Community HealthUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health SciencesColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Emily V. Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Jeffrey R. Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
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11
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Robinson MA, Decker ZCJ, Barsanti KC, Coggon MM, Flocke FM, Franchin A, Fredrickson CD, Gilman JB, Gkatzelis GI, Holmes CD, Lamplugh A, Lavi A, Middlebrook AM, Montzka DM, Palm BB, Peischl J, Pierce B, Schwantes RH, Sekimoto K, Selimovic V, Tyndall GS, Thornton JA, Van Rooy P, Warneke C, Weinheimer AJ, Brown SS. Variability and Time of Day Dependence of Ozone Photochemistry in Western Wildfire Plumes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10280-10290. [PMID: 34255503 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the efficiency and variability of photochemical ozone (O3) production from western wildfire plumes is important to accurately estimate their influence on North American air quality. A set of photochemical measurements were made from the NOAA Twin Otter research aircraft as a part of the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) experiment. We use a zero-dimensional (0-D) box model to investigate the chemistry driving O3 production in modeled plumes. Modeled afternoon plumes reached a maximum O3 mixing ratio of 140 ± 50 ppbv (average ± standard deviation) within 20 ± 10 min of emission compared to 76 ± 12 ppbv in 60 ± 30 min in evening plumes. Afternoon and evening maximum O3 isopleths indicate that plumes were near their peak in NOx efficiency. A radical budget describes the NOx volatile - organic compound (VOC) sensitivities of these plumes. Afternoon plumes displayed a rapid transition from VOC-sensitive to NOx-sensitive chemistry, driven by HOx (=OH + HO2) production from photolysis of nitrous acid (HONO) (48 ± 20% of primary HOx) and formaldehyde (HCHO) (26 ± 9%) emitted directly from the fire. Evening plumes exhibit a slower transition from peak NOx efficiency to VOC-sensitive O3 production caused by a reduction in photolysis rates and fire emissions. HOx production in evening plumes is controlled by HONO photolysis (53 ± 7%), HCHO photolysis (18 ± 9%), and alkene ozonolysis (17 ± 9%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Robinson
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Zachary C J Decker
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kelley C Barsanti
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92507, United States
| | - Matthew M Coggon
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Frank M Flocke
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Alessandro Franchin
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Carley D Fredrickson
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jessica B Gilman
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
| | - Georgios I Gkatzelis
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Christopher D Holmes
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
| | - Aaron Lamplugh
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Avi Lavi
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92507, United States
| | - Ann M Middlebrook
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
| | - Denise M Montzka
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Brett B Palm
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Jeff Peischl
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Brad Pierce
- Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, United States
| | - Rebecca H Schwantes
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kanako Sekimoto
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan
| | - Vanessa Selimovic
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Geoffrey S Tyndall
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Joel A Thornton
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Paul Van Rooy
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92507, United States
| | - Carsten Warneke
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
| | - Andrew J Weinheimer
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Steven S Brown
- NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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12
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Zhou X, Josey K, Kamareddine L, Caine MC, Liu T, Mickley LJ, Cooper M, Dominici F. Excess of COVID-19 cases and deaths due to fine particulate matter exposure during the 2020 wildfires in the United States. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/33/eabi8789. [PMID: 34389545 PMCID: PMC8363139 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi8789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The year 2020 brought unimaginable challenges in public health, with the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires across the western United States. Wildfires produce high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Recent studies reported that short-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with increased risk of COVID-19 cases and deaths. We acquired and linked publicly available daily data on PM2.5, the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and other confounders for 92 western U.S. counties that were affected by the 2020 wildfires. We estimated the association between short-term exposure to PM2.5 during the wildfires and the epidemiological dynamics of COVID-19 cases and deaths. We adjusted for several time-varying confounding factors (e.g., weather, seasonality, long-term trends, mobility, and population size). We found strong evidence that wildfires amplified the effect of short-term exposure to PM2.5 on COVID-19 cases and deaths, although with substantial heterogeneity across counties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Zhou
- Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, CA, USA
| | - Kevin Josey
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leila Kamareddine
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miah C Caine
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tianjia Liu
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Loretta J Mickley
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew Cooper
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Data Science Initiative, Cambridge, MA, USA
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13
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Martenies SE, Hoskovec L, Wilson A, Allshouse WB, Adgate JL, Dabelea D, Jathar S, Magzamen S. Assessing the Impact of Wildfires on the Use of Black Carbon as an Indicator of Traffic Exposures in Environmental Epidemiology Studies. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2020GH000347. [PMID: 34124496 PMCID: PMC8173457 DOI: 10.1029/2020gh000347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies frequently use black carbon (BC) as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). However, wildfire smoke (WFS) represents an important source of BC not often considered when using BC as a proxy for TRAP. Here, we examined the potential for WFS to bias TRAP exposure assessments based on BC measurements. Weekly integrated BC samples were collected across the Denver, CO region from May to November 2018. We collected 609 filters during our sampling campaigns, 35% of which were WFS-impacted. For each filter we calculated an average BC concentration. We assessed three GIS-based indicators of TRAP for each sampling location: annual average daily traffic within a 300 m buffer, the minimum distance to a highway, and the sum of the lengths of roadways within 300 m. Median BC concentrations were 9% higher for WFS-impacted filters (median = 1.14 μg/m3, IQR = 0.23 μg/m3) than nonimpacted filters (median = 1.04 μg/m3, IQR = 0.48 μg/m3). During WFS events, BC concentrations were elevated and expected spatial gradients in BC were reduced. We conducted a simulation study to estimate TRAP exposure misclassification as the result of regional WFS. Our results suggest that linear health effect estimates were biased away from the null when WFS was present. Thus, exposure assessments relying on BC as a proxy for TRAP may be biased by wildfire events. Alternative metrics that account for the influence of "brown" carbon associated with biomass burning may better isolate the effects of traffic emissions from those of other black carbon sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. E. Martenies
- Kinesiology and Community HealikthUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaILUSA
- Environmental and Radiological Health SciencesColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - L. Hoskovec
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - A. Wilson
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - W. B. Allshouse
- Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public HealthUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
| | - J. L. Adgate
- Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public HealthUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
| | - D. Dabelea
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD Center)University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
- School of MedicineDepartment of PediatricsUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
| | - S. Jathar
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - S. Magzamen
- Environmental and Radiological Health SciencesColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraCOUSA
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14
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Sorensen C, House JA, O'Dell K, Brey SJ, Ford B, Pierce JR, Fischer EV, Lemery J, Crooks JL. Associations Between Wildfire-Related PM 2.5 and Intensive Care Unit Admissions in the United States, 2006-2015. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2021GH000385. [PMID: 33977181 PMCID: PMC8095362 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire smoke is a growing public health concern in the United States. Numerous studies have documented associations between ambient smoke exposure and severe patient outcomes for single-fire seasons or limited geographic regions. However, there are few national-scale health studies of wildfire smoke in the United States, few studies investigating Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions as an outcome, and few specifically framed around hospital operations. This study retrospectively examined the associations between ambient wildfire-related PM2.5 at a hospital ZIP code with total hospital ICU admissions using a national-scale hospitalization data set. Wildfire smoke was characterized using a combination of kriged PM2.5 monitor observations and satellite-derived plume polygons from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hazard Mapping System. ICU admissions data were acquired from Premier, Inc. and encompass 15%-20% of all U.S. ICU admissions during the study period. Associations were estimated using a distributed-lag conditional Poisson model under a time-stratified case-crossover design. We found that a 10 μg/m3 increase in daily wildfire PM2.5 was associated with a 2.7% (95% CI: 1.3, 4.1; p = 0.00018) increase in ICU admissions 5 days later. Under stratification, positive associations were found among patients aged 0-20 and 60+, patients living in the Midwest Census Region, patients admitted in the years 2013-2015, and non-Black patients, though other results were mixed. Following a simulated severe 7-day 120 μg/m3 smoke event, our results predict ICU bed utilization peaking at 131% (95% CI: 43, 239; p < 10-5) over baseline. Our work suggests that hospitals may need to preposition vital critical care resources when severe smoke events are forecast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Sorensen
- University of Colorado School of MedicineDepartment of Emergency MedicineAuroraCOUSA
- Center for Health, Work & EnvironmentColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
| | | | - Katelyn O'Dell
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFt. CollinsCOUSA
| | - Steven J. Brey
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFt. CollinsCOUSA
| | - Bonne Ford
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFt. CollinsCOUSA
| | - Jeffrey R. Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFt. CollinsCOUSA
| | - Emily V. Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFt. CollinsCOUSA
| | - Jay Lemery
- University of Colorado School of MedicineDepartment of Emergency MedicineAuroraCOUSA
| | - James L. Crooks
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and Department of Immunology and Genomic MedicineNational Jewish HealthDenverCOUSA
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthAuroraCOUSA
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15
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Martenies SE, Keller JP, WeMott S, Kuiper G, Ross Z, Allshouse WB, Adgate JL, Starling AP, Dabelea D, Magzamen S. A Spatiotemporal Prediction Model for Black Carbon in the Denver Metropolitan Area, 2009-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:3112-3123. [PMID: 33596061 PMCID: PMC8313050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c06451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Studies on health effects of air pollution from local sources require exposure assessments that capture spatial and temporal trends. To facilitate intraurban studies in Denver, Colorado, we developed a spatiotemporal prediction model for black carbon (BC). To inform our model, we collected more than 700 weekly BC samples using personal air samplers from 2018 to 2020. The model incorporated spatial and spatiotemporal predictors and smoothed time trends to generate point-level weekly predictions of BC concentrations for the years 2009-2020. Our results indicate that our model reliably predicted weekly BC concentrations across the region during the year in which we collected data. We achieved a 10-fold cross-validation R2 of 0.83 and a root-mean-square error of 0.15 μg/m3 for weekly BC concentrations predicted at our sampling locations. Predicted concentrations displayed expected temporal trends, with the highest concentrations predicted during winter months. Thus, our prediction model improves on typical land use regression models that generally only capture spatial gradients. However, our model is limited by a lack of long-term BC monitoring data for full validation of historical predictions. BC predictions from the weekly spatiotemporal model will be used in traffic-related air pollution exposure-disease associations more precisely than previous models for the region have allowed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena E Martenies
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, United States
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019, United States
| | - Joshua P Keller
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019, United States
| | - Sherry WeMott
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019, United States
| | - Grace Kuiper
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019, United States
| | - Zev Ross
- ZevRoss Spatial Analysis, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - William B Allshouse
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - John L Adgate
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Anne P Starling
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Dana Dabelea
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
- Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
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16
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Holm SM, Miller MD, Balmes JR. Health effects of wildfire smoke in children and public health tools: a narrative review. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2021; 31:1-20. [PMID: 32952154 PMCID: PMC7502220 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-00267-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire smoke is an increasing environmental health threat to which children are particularly vulnerable, for both physiologic and behavioral reasons. To address the need for improved public health messaging this review summarizes current knowledge and knowledge gaps in the health effects of wildfire smoke in children, as well as tools for public health response aimed at children, including consideration of low-cost sensor data, respirators, and exposures in school environments. There is an established literature of health effects in children from components of ambient air pollution, which are also present in wildfire smoke, and an emerging literature on the effects of wildfire smoke, particularly for respiratory outcomes. Low-cost particulate sensors demonstrate the spatial variability of pollution, including wildfire smoke, where children live and play. Surgical masks and respirators can provide limited protection for children during wildfire events, with expected decreases of roughly 20% and 80% for surgical masks and N95 respirators, respectively. Schools should improve filtration to reduce exposure of our nation's children to smoke during wildfire events. The evidence base described may help clinical and public health authorities provide accurate information to families to improve their decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Holm
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Children's Environmental Health Center, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA.
| | - Mark D Miller
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Children's Environmental Health Center, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - John R Balmes
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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17
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Chen H, Samet JM, Bromberg PA, Tong H. Cardiovascular health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Part Fibre Toxicol 2021; 18:2. [PMID: 33413506 PMCID: PMC7791832 DOI: 10.1186/s12989-020-00394-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, wildland fires have occurred more frequently and with increased intensity in many fire-prone areas. In addition to the direct life and economic losses attributable to wildfires, the emitted smoke is a major contributor to ambient air pollution, leading to significant public health impacts. Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of particulate matter (PM), gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. PM from wildfire smoke has a high content of elemental carbon and organic carbon, with lesser amounts of metal compounds. Epidemiological studies have consistently found an association between exposure to wildfire smoke (typically monitored as the PM concentration) and increased respiratory morbidity and mortality. However, previous reviews of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure have not established a conclusive link between wildfire smoke exposure and adverse cardiovascular effects. In this review, we systematically evaluate published epidemiological observations, controlled clinical exposure studies, and toxicological studies focusing on evidence of wildfire smoke exposure and cardiovascular effects, and identify knowledge gaps. Improving exposure assessment and identifying sensitive cardiovascular endpoints will serve to better understand the association between exposure to wildfire smoke and cardiovascular effects and the mechanisms involved. Similarly, filling the knowledge gaps identified in this review will better define adverse cardiovascular health effects of exposure to wildfire smoke, thus informing risk assessments and potentially leading to the development of targeted interventional strategies to mitigate the health impacts of wildfire smoke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA.
| | - James M Samet
- Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Philip A Bromberg
- Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Haiyan Tong
- Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
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18
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Landis MS, Long RW, Krug J, Colón M, Vanderpool R, Habel A, Urbanski SP. The U.S. EPA wildland fire sensor challenge: Performance and evaluation of solver submitted multi-pollutant sensor systems. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (OXFORD, ENGLAND : 1994) 2021; 247:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.118165. [PMID: 33889052 PMCID: PMC8059620 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.118165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wildland fires can emit substantial amounts of air pollution that may pose a risk to those in proximity (e.g., first responders, nearby residents) as well as downwind populations. Quickly deploying air pollution measurement capabilities in response to incidents has been limited to date by the cost, complexity of implementation, and measurement accuracy. Emerging technologies including miniaturized direct-reading sensors, compact microprocessors, and wireless data communications provide new opportunities to detect air pollution in real time. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnered with other U.S. federal agencies (CDC, NASA, NPS, NOAA, USFS) to sponsor the Wildland Fire Sensor Challenge. EPA and partnering organizations share the desire to advance wildland fire air measurement technology to be easier to deploy, suitable to use for high concentration events, and durable to withstand difficult field conditions, with the ability to report high time resolution data continuously and wirelessly. The Wildland Fire Sensor Challenge encouraged innovation worldwide to develop sensor prototypes capable of measuring fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and ozone (O3) during wildfire episodes. The importance of using federal reference method (FRM) versus federal equivalent method (FEM) instruments to evaluate performance in biomass smoke is discussed. Ten solvers from three countries submitted sensor systems for evaluation as part of the challenge. The sensor evaluation results including sensor accuracy, precision, linearity, and operability are presented and discussed, and three challenge winners are announced. Raw solver submitted PM2.5 sensor accuracies of the winners ranged from ~22 to 32%, while smoke specific EPA regression calibrations improved the accuracies to ~75-83% demonstrating the potential of these systems in providing reasonable accuracies over conditions that are typical during wildland fire events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Landis
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Russell W. Long
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan Krug
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Maribel Colón
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Robert Vanderpool
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Habel
- Jacobs Technology Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Shawn P. Urbanski
- U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT, USA
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19
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He Z, Zhang X, Li Y, Zhong X, Li H, Gao R, Li J. Characterizing carbonyl compounds and their sources in Fuzhou ambient air, southeast of China. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10227. [PMID: 33194416 PMCID: PMC7649009 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, ozone (O3) concentrations in the southeastern coastal areas of China have shown a gradual upward trend. As precursors and intermediates in the formation of O3, carbonyl compounds play key roles in the atmospheric photochemical oxidation cycle. To explore the main pollution characteristics of carbonyl compounds in a typical coastal city in southeast China, ambient samples were collected in Fuzhou (the provincial capital of Fujian province, located on the southeast coast of China) and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The study was continuously carried out at an urban site (Jinjishan) and a suburban site (Gushan) in Fuzhou from May 8 to 20, 2018. The total concentration of 16 carbonyl compounds at the urban site was 15.45 ± 11.18 ppbv, and the total concentration at the suburban site was 17.57 ± 12.77 ppbv. Formaldehyde (HCHO), acetaldehyde, and acetone were the main species detected in the samples, and acetone had the highest concentration among the species detected. The suburban site had a higher formaldehyde/acetaldehyde ratio and lower acetaldehyde/propionaldehyde ratio than the urban site, implying that biogenic sources potentially contributed to the carbonyl compound concentrations at the suburban site. The results of an observation-based model showed that anthropogenic hydrocarbons promoted HCHO production on May 17 at the urban site. Compared to biogenic emissions, anthropogenic activity is a more important source of carbonyl compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen He
- College of Resource and Environment Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.,State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China.,Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yunfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China.,Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuefen Zhong
- Fujian Academy of Environmental Sciences, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinjuan Li
- College of Resource and Environment Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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20
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O'Dell K, Hornbrook RS, Permar W, Levin EJT, Garofalo LA, Apel EC, Blake NJ, Jarnot A, Pothier MA, Farmer DK, Hu L, Campos T, Ford B, Pierce JR, Fischer EV. Hazardous Air Pollutants in Fresh and Aged Western US Wildfire Smoke and Implications for Long-Term Exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:11838-11847. [PMID: 32857515 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires have a significant adverse impact on air quality in the United States (US). To understand the potential health impacts of wildfire smoke, many epidemiology studies rely on concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM) as a smoke tracer. However, there are many gas-phase hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that are also present in wildfire smoke plumes. Using observations from the Western Wildfire Experiment for Cloud Chemistry, Aerosol Absorption, and Nitrogen (WE-CAN), a 2018 aircraft-based field campaign that measured HAPs and PM in western US wildfire smoke plumes, we identify the relationships between HAPs and associated health risks, PM, and smoke age. We find the ratios between acute, chronic noncancer, and chronic cancer HAPs health risk and PM in smoke decrease as a function of smoke age by up to 72% from fresh (<1 day of aging) to old (>3 days of aging) smoke. We show that acrolein, formaldehyde, benzene, and hydrogen cyanide are the dominant contributors to gas-phase HAPs risk in smoke plumes. Finally, we use ratios of HAPs to PM along with annual average smoke-specific PM to estimate current and potential future smoke HAPs risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn O'Dell
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, United States
| | - Rebecca S Hornbrook
- Atmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Wade Permar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Ezra J T Levin
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, United States
| | - Lauren A Garofalo
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Eric C Apel
- Atmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Nicola J Blake
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Alex Jarnot
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Matson A Pothier
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Delphine K Farmer
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Lu Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Teresa Campos
- Atmospheric Chemistry Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
| | - Bonne Ford
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, United States
| | - Jeffrey R Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, United States
| | - Emily V Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, United States
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21
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Brey SJ, Barnes EA, Pierce JR, Swann ALS, Fischer EV. Past Variance and Future Projections of the Environmental Conditions Driving Western U.S. Summertime Wildfire Burn Area. EARTH'S FUTURE 2020; 9:e2020EF001645. [PMID: 33681404 PMCID: PMC7900977 DOI: 10.1029/2020ef001645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Increases in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) have been hypothesized as the primary driver of future fire changes. The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models agree that western U.S. surface temperatures and associated dryness of air as defined by the VPD will increase in the 21st century for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. However, we find that averaged over seasonal and regional scales, other environmental variables demonstrated to be relevant to flammability, moisture abundances, and aridity-such as precipitation, evaporation, relative humidity, root zone soil moisture, and wind speed-can be used to explain observed variance in wildfire burn area as well or better than VPD. However, the magnitude and sign of the change of these variables in the 21st century are less certain than the predicted changes in VPD. Our work demonstrates that when objectively selecting environmental variables to maximize predictive skill of linear regressions (minimize square error on unseen data) VPD is not always selected and when it is not, the magnitude of future increases in burn area becomes less certain. Hence, this work shows that future burn area predictions are sensitive to what environmental predictors are chosen to drive burn area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Brey
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | | | - Emily V. Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
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22
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Buysse CE, Kaulfus A, Nair U, Jaffe DA. Relationships between Particulate Matter, Ozone, and Nitrogen Oxides during Urban Smoke Events in the Western US. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12519-12528. [PMID: 31597429 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Urban ozone (O3) pollution is influenced by the transport of wildfire smoke but observed impacts are highly variable. We investigate O3 impacts from smoke in 18 western US cities during July-September, 2013-2017, with ground-based monitoring data from air quality system sites, using satellite-based hazard mapping system (HMS) fire and smoke product to identify overhead smoke. We present four key findings. First, O3 and PM2.5 (particulate matter <2.5 μm in diameter) are elevated at nearly all sites on days influenced by smoke, with the greatest mean enhancement occurring during multiday smoke events; nitrogen oxides (NOx) are not consistently elevated across all sites. Second, PM2.5 and O3 exhibit a nonlinear relationship such that O3 increases with PM2.5 at low to moderate 24 h PM2.5, peaks around 30-50 μg m-3, and declines at higher PM2.5. Third, the rate of increase of morning O3 is higher and NO/NO2 ratios are lower on smoke-influenced days, which could result from additional atmospheric oxidants in smoke. Fourth, while the HMS product is a useful tool for identifying smoke, O3 and PM2.5 are elevated on days before and after HMS-identified smoke events implying that a significant fraction of smoke events is not detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Buysse
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
| | - Aaron Kaulfus
- Department of Atmospheric Science , University of Alabama in Huntsville , Huntsville , Alabama 35899 , United States
| | - Udaysankar Nair
- Department of Atmospheric Science , University of Alabama in Huntsville , Huntsville , Alabama 35899 , United States
| | - Daniel A Jaffe
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics , University of Washington-Bothell , Bothell , Washington 98011 , United States
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23
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Pratt JR, Gan RW, Ford B, Brey S, Pierce JR, Fischer EV, Magzamen S. A national burden assessment of estimated pediatric asthma emergency department visits that may be attributed to elevated ozone levels associated with the presence of smoke. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:269. [PMID: 31254073 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7420-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Asthma is the most common pediatric disease in the USA. It has been consistently demonstrated that asthma symptoms are exacerbated by exposure to ozone. Ozone (O3) is a secondary pollutant produced when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are oxidized in the atmosphere in the presence of nitrogen oxides (NOx). At ground level, elevated ozone is typically formed as a result of human activities. However, wildfires represent an additional source of ozone precursors. Recent evidence suggests that smoke can increase ozone concentrations. We estimated the number of excess asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits in children with asthma that may be attributed to elevated ozone associated with smoke (EOAS) in the USA. We conducted a quantitative burden assessment (BA) using a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the median number of excess pediatric asthma ED visits that may be attributed to EOAS among children with asthma in the continental USA between 2005 and 2014, as well as 95% confidence bounds (95% CB). We estimated that a median of 2403 (95% CB 235-5382) pediatric asthma ED visits could be attributed to EOAS exposure between 2005 and 2014 in the continental USA. Furthermore, the impact of EOAS on estimated asthma ED visits was greatest in the eastern half of the continental USA. We found a significant increase in pediatric asthma ED visits that may be attributed to exposure to EOAS. EOAS may have a measurable negative impact on children with asthma in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob R Pratt
- Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Ryan W Gan
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1681 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1681, USA
| | - Bonne Ford
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Steven Brey
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Emily V Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1681 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1681, USA.
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24
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Lipner EM, O'Dell K, Brey SJ, Ford B, Pierce JR, Fischer EV, Crooks JL. The Associations Between Clinical Respiratory Outcomes and Ambient Wildfire Smoke Exposure Among Pediatric Asthma Patients at National Jewish Health, 2012-2015. GEOHEALTH 2019; 3:146-159. [PMID: 32159037 PMCID: PMC7007069 DOI: 10.1029/2018gh000142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires are a growing threat in the United States. At a population level, exposure to ambient wildfire smoke is known to be associated with severe asthma outcomes such as hospitalizations. However, little work has been done on subacute clinical asthma outcomes, especially in sensitive populations. This study retrospectively investigated associations between ambient wildfire smoke exposure and measures of lung function and asthma control, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (FEV1) and the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Children's Asthma Control Test (CACT) test scores, during nonurgent clinic visits. The study population consisted of pediatric asthma patients (ages 4-21; n = 1,404 for FEV1 and n = 395 for ACT/CACT) at National Jewish Health, a respiratory referral hospital in Denver, Colorado, and therefore represents a more severe asthma phenotype than the general pediatric asthma population. Wildfire smoke-related PM2.5 at patients' residential ZIP codes was characterized using satellite-derived smoke polygons from NOAA's Hazard Mapping System combined with kriging of ground-based U.S. EPA monitors. Mixed effect models were used to estimate associations between clinical outcomes and smoke PM2.5 exposure, controlling for known risk factors and confounders. Among older children aged 12-21 we found that wildfire PM2.5 was associated with lower FEV1 the next day but higher FEV1 the day after. We found no associations between wildfire PM2.5 and FEV1 in younger children or between wildfire PM2.5 and asthma control measured by the ACT/CACT in all ages. We speculate that rescue medication usage by older children may decrease respiratory symptoms caused by wildfire smoke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettie M. Lipner
- Department of Biomedical ResearchNational Jewish HealthDenverColoradoUSA
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Katelyn O'Dell
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Steven J. Brey
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Bonne Ford
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Jeffrey R. Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Emily V. Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - James L. Crooks
- Department of Biomedical ResearchNational Jewish HealthDenverColoradoUSA
- Department of EpidemiologyColorado School of Public HealthAuroraColoradoUSA
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25
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Noestheden M, Noyovitz B, Riordan-Short S, Dennis EG, Zandberg WF. Smoke from simulated forest fire alters secondary metabolites in Vitis vinifera L. berries and wine. PLANTA 2018; 248:1537-1550. [PMID: 30151661 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-018-2994-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The exposure of Vitis vinifera L. berries to forest fire smoke changes the concentration of phenylpropanoid metabolites in berries and the resulting wine. The exposure of Vitis vinifera L. berries (i.e., wine grapes) to forest fire smoke can lead to a wine defect known as smoke taint that is characterized by unpleasant "smoky" and "ashy" aromas and flavors. The intensity of smoke taint is associated with the concentration of organoleptic volatile phenols that are produced during the combustion-mediated oxidation of lignocellulosic biomass and subsequently concentrated in berries prior to fermentation. However, these same smoke-derived volatile phenols are also produced via metabolic pathways endogenous to berries. It follows then that an influx of exogenous volatile phenols (i.e., from forest fire smoke) could alter endogenous metabolism associated with volatile phenol synthesis, which occurs via the shikimic acid/phenylpropanoid pathways. The presence of ozone and karrikins in forest fire smoke, as well as changes to stomatal conductance that can occur from exposure to forest fire smoke also have the potential to influence phenylpropanoid metabolism. This study demonstrated changes in phenylpropanoid metabolites in Pinot noir berries and wine from three vineyards following the exposure of Vitis vinifera L. vines to simulated forest fire smoke. This included changes to metabolites associated with mouth feel and color in wine, both of which are important sensorial qualities to wine producers and consumers. The results reported are critical to understanding the chemical changes associated with smoke taint beyond volatile phenols, which in turn, may aid the development of preventative and remedial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Noestheden
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
- Supra Research and Development, 4532 Sallows Road, Kelowna, BC, V1W 4C2, Canada
| | - Benjamin Noyovitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Seamus Riordan-Short
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Eric G Dennis
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Wesley F Zandberg
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 3247 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada.
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26
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Brey SJ, Barnes EA, Pierce JR, Wiedinmyer C, Fischer EV. Environmental Conditions, Ignition Type, and Air Quality Impacts of Wildfires in the Southeastern and Western United States. EARTH'S FUTURE 2018; 6:1442-1456. [PMID: 31008140 PMCID: PMC6472659 DOI: 10.1029/2018ef000972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This research contrasts the environmental conditions, meteorological drivers, and air quality impacts of human- and lightning-ignited wildfires in the southeastern and western United States, the two continental U.S. regions with the most wildfire burn area. We use the Fire Program Analysis Wildfire Occurrence Data (FPA FOD) to determine wildfire abundance and ignition sources between 1992 and 2015. We investigate specific ecoregions within these two U.S. regions and find that in the majority of ecoregions, annual lightning- and human-ignited wildfire burn area have similar relationships with key meteorological parameters. We investigate the fuel moisture values where wildfires occur segregated by ignition type and show that within a given ecoregion, the differences in median fuel moisture between ignition types are generally smaller than the differences between ecoregions. Our results suggest that annual wildfire burn area for human- and lightning-ignited wildfires within a given ecoregion are modulated by environmental conditions, and climate change may similarly impact wildfires of both ignition types. Finally, we estimate fine particulate matter emissions for Fire Program Analysis Wildfire Occurrence Data wildfires using the Fire INventory from NCAR model framework. We show that emissions of fine particulate matter from human-ignited wildfires is significant and of a similar total magnitude between the west and southeastern United States. Additionally, the west and southeast have a similar number of wildfires associated with National Weather Service air quality smoke forecasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Brey
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Christine Wiedinmyer
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental SciencesUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Emily V. Fischer
- Department of Atmospheric ScienceColorado State UniversityFort CollinsCOUSA
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27
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Larsen AE, Reich BJ, Ruminski M, Rappold AG. Impacts of fire smoke plumes on regional air quality, 2006-2013. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2018; 28:319-327. [PMID: 29288254 PMCID: PMC6556614 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-017-0013-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Increases in the severity and frequency of large fires necessitate improved understanding of the influence of smoke on air quality and public health. The objective of this study is to estimate the effect of smoke from fires across the continental U.S. on regional air quality over an extended period of time. We use 2006-2013 data on ozone (O3), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and PM2.5 constituents from environmental monitoring sites to characterize regional air quality and satellite imagery data to identify plumes. Unhealthy levels of O3 and PM2.5 were, respectively, 3.3 and 2.5 times more likely to occur on plume days than on clear days. With a two-stage approach, we estimated the effect of plumes on pollutants, controlling for season, temperature, and within-site and between-site variability. Plumes were associated with an average increase of 2.6 p.p.b. (2.5, 2.7) in O3 and 2.9 µg/m3 (2.8, 3.0) in PM2.5 nationwide, but the magnitude of effects varied by location. The largest impacts were observed across the southeast. High impacts on O3 were also observed in densely populated urban areas at large distance from the fires throughout the southeast. Fire smoke substantially affects regional air quality and accounts for a disproportionate number of unhealthy days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra E Larsen
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Brian J Reich
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Mark Ruminski
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, Camp Springs, MD, USA
| | - Ana G Rappold
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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28
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Wentworth GR, Aklilu YA, Landis MS, Hsu YM. Impacts of a large boreal wildfire on ground level atmospheric concentrations of PAHs, VOCs and ozone. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (OXFORD, ENGLAND : 1994) 2018; 178:19-30. [PMID: 29681759 PMCID: PMC5906807 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
During May 2016 a very large boreal wildfire burned throughout the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) in central Canada, and in close proximity to an extensive air quality monitoring network. This study examines speciated 24-h integrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and volatile organic compound (VOC) measurements collected every sixth day at four and seven sites, respectively, from May to August 2016. The sum of PAHs (ΣPAH) was on average 17 times higher in fire-influenced samples (852 ng m-3, n = 8), relative to non-fire influenced samples (50 ng m-3, n = 64). Diagnostic PAH ratios in fire-influenced samples were indicative of a biomass burning source, whereas ratios in June to August samples showed additional influence from petrogenic and fossil fuel combustion. The average increase in the sum of VOCs (ΣVOC) was minor by comparison: 63 ppbv for fire-influenced samples (n = 16) versus 46 ppbv for non-fire samples (n = 90). The samples collected on August 16th and 22nd had large ΣVOC concentrations at all sites (average of 123 ppbv) that were unrelated to wildfire emissions, and composed primarily of acetaldehyde and methanol suggesting a photochemically aged air mass. Normalized excess enhancement ratios (ERs) were calculated for 20 VOCs and 23 PAHs for three fire influenced samples, and the former were generally consistent with previous observations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report ER measurements for a number of VOCs and PAHs in fresh North American boreal wildfire plumes. During May the aged wildfire plume intercepted the cities of Edmonton (∼380 km south) or Lethbridge (∼790 km south) on four separate occasions. No enhancement in ground-level ozone (O3) was observed in these aged plumes despite an assumed increase in O3 precursors. In the AOSR, the only daily-averaged VOCs which approached or exceeded the hourly Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAAQOs) were benzene (during the fire) and acetaldehyde (on August 16th and 22nd). Implications for local and regional air quality as well as suggestions for supplemental air monitoring during future boreal fires, are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory R. Wentworth
- Environmental Monitoring and Science Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, 10th Floor 9888 Jasper Ave. NW, T5J 5C6, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yayne-abeba Aklilu
- Environmental Monitoring and Science Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, 10th Floor 9888 Jasper Ave. NW, T5J 5C6, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Matthew S. Landis
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, 27709, NC, USA
| | - Yu-Mei Hsu
- Wood Buffalo Environmental Association, 100-330 Thickwood Blvd., T9K 1Y1, Fort McMurray, AB, Canada
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29
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Gong X, Kaulfus A, Nair U, Jaffe DA. Quantifying O 3 Impacts in Urban Areas Due to Wildfires Using a Generalized Additive Model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:13216-13223. [PMID: 29065684 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires emit O3 precursors but there are large variations in emissions, plume heights, and photochemical processing. These factors make it challenging to model O3 production from wildfires using Eulerian models. Here we describe a statistical approach to characterize the maximum daily 8-h average O3 (MDA8) for 8 cities in the U.S. for typical, nonfire, conditions. The statistical model represents between 35% and 81% of the variance in MDA8 for each city. We then examine the residual from the model under conditions with elevated particulate matter (PM) and satellite observed smoke ("smoke days"). For these days, the residuals are elevated by an average of 3-8 ppb (MDA8) compared to nonsmoke days. We found that while smoke days are only 4.1% of all days (May-Sept) they are 19% of days with an MDA8 greater than 75 ppb. We also show that a published method that does not account for transport patterns gives rise to large overestimates in the amount of O3 from fires, particularly for coastal cities. Finally, we apply this method to a case study from August 2015, and show that the method gives results that are directly applicable to the EPA guidance on excluding data due to an uncontrollable source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Gong
- School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University , Wuhan 430079, China
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, University of Washington-Bothell , 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, Washington 98011, United States
| | - Aaron Kaulfus
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alabama-Huntsville , Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
| | - Udaysankar Nair
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alabama-Huntsville , Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
| | - Daniel A Jaffe
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, University of Washington-Bothell , 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, Washington 98011, United States
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington-Seattle , Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
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30
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Zarzana KJ, Min KE, Washenfelder RA, Kaiser J, Krawiec-Thayer M, Peischl J, Neuman JA, Nowak JB, Wagner NL, Dubè WP, St. Clair JM, Wolfe GM, Hanisco TF, Keutsch FN, Ryerson TB, Brown SS. Emissions of Glyoxal and Other Carbonyl Compounds from Agricultural Biomass Burning Plumes Sampled by Aircraft. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:11761-11770. [PMID: 28976736 PMCID: PMC7354696 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
We report enhancements of glyoxal and methylglyoxal relative to carbon monoxide and formaldehyde in agricultural biomass burning plumes intercepted by the NOAA WP-3D aircraft during the 2013 Southeast Nexus and 2015 Shale Oil and Natural Gas Nexus campaigns. Glyoxal and methylglyoxal were measured using broadband cavity enhanced spectroscopy, which for glyoxal provides a highly selective and sensitive measurement. While enhancement ratios of other species such as methane and formaldehyde were consistent with previous measurements, glyoxal enhancements relative to carbon monoxide averaged 0.0016 ± 0.0009, a factor of 4 lower than values used in global models. Glyoxal enhancements relative to formaldehyde were 30 times lower than previously reported, averaging 0.038 ± 0.02. Several glyoxal loss processes such as photolysis, reactions with hydroxyl radicals, and aerosol uptake were found to be insufficient to explain the lower measured values of glyoxal relative to other biomass burning trace gases, indicating that glyoxal emissions from agricultural biomass burning may be significantly overestimated. Methylglyoxal enhancements were three to six times higher than reported in other recent studies, but spectral interferences from other substituted dicarbyonyls introduce an estimated correction factor of 2 and at least a 25% uncertainty, such that accurate measurements of the enhancements are difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. Zarzana
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kyung-Eun Min
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Rebecca A. Washenfelder
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Jennifer Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Mitchell Krawiec-Thayer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Jeff Peischl
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - J. Andrew Neuman
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - John B. Nowak
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Nicholas L. Wagner
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - William P. Dubè
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Jason M. St. Clair
- Atmospheric Chemistry & Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, United States
| | - Glenn M. Wolfe
- Atmospheric Chemistry & Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
- Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, United States
| | - Thomas F. Hanisco
- Atmospheric Chemistry & Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Frank N. Keutsch
- Atmospheric Chemistry & Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, United States
| | - Thomas B. Ryerson
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
| | - Steven S. Brown
- Chemical Sciences Division, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
- Corresponding Author: S. S. Brown. , Phone: 303 497 6306, Fax: 303 497 5126
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