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Gavidia-Calderón M, Schuch D, Vara-Vela A, Inoue R, Freitas ED, Albuquerque TTDA, Zhang Y, Andrade MDF, Bell ML. Air quality modeling in the metropolitan area of São Paulo, Brazil: A review. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (OXFORD, ENGLAND : 1994) 2024; 319:120301. [PMID: 38827432 PMCID: PMC7616053 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies have used air quality models to estimate pollutant concentrations in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo (MASP) by using different inputs and assumptions. Our objectives are to summarize these studies, compare their performance, configurations, and inputs, and recommend areas of further research. We examined 29 air quality modeling studies that focused on ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) performed over the MASP, published from 2001 to 2023. The California Institute of Technology airshed model (CIT) was the most used offline model, while the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) was the most used online model. Because the main source of air pollution in the MASP is the vehicular fleet, it is commonly used as the only anthropogenic input emissions. Simulation periods were typically the end of winter and during spring, seasons with higher O3 and PM2.5 concentrations. Model performance for hourly ozone is good with half of the studies with Pearson correlation above 0.6 and root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from 7.7 to 27.1 ppb. Fewer studies modeled PM2.5 and their performance is not as good as ozone estimates. Lack of information on emission sources, pollutant measurements, and urban meteorology parameters is the main limitation to perform air quality modeling. Nevertheless, researchers have used measurement campaign data to update emission factors, estimate temporal emission profiles, and estimate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and aerosol speciation. They also tested different emission spatial disaggregation approaches and transitioned to global meteorological reanalysis with a higher spatial resolution. Areas of research to explore are further evaluation of models' physics and chemical configurations, the impact of climate change on air quality, the use of satellite data, data assimilation techniques, and using model results in health impact studies. This work provides an overview of advancements in air quality modeling within the MASP and offers practical approaches for modeling air quality in other South American cities with limited data, particularly those heavily impacted by vehicle emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Gavidia-Calderón
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Schuch
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Angel Vara-Vela
- Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rita Inoue
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edmilson D. Freitas
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria de Fatima Andrade
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michelle L. Bell
- School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Bui LT, Nguyen PH. Ground-level ozone in the Mekong Delta region: precursors, meteorological factors, and regional transport. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:23691-23713. [PMID: 36323970 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23819-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The Mekong Delta region (MDR), also known as Vietnam's rice bowl, produced a bountiful harvest of about 23.8 million tons in 2020, accounting for 55.7% of the country's total production, providing food security for 20% of the world population. With the rapid pace of industrialisation and urbanisation, the concentration of ozone in the lower atmosphere has risen to a level that reduces crop yields, especially rice, and is therefore the subject of research. This study aims to simulate the spatiotemporal distribution of ground-level ozone in the area and evaluate the impact of precursor emissions and meteorological factors on the spatiotemporal distributions of ozone concentrations. The study area was divided into seven zones, including six agro-ecological zones (AEZs) and one low-mountainous area, mainly to clarify the role of emissions in each AEZ. The simulation results showed that ground-level O3 in the MDR ranged from 40.39 to 52.13 µg/m3. In six agro-ecological zones, the average annual ground-level O3 concentration was relatively high and was the highest in zone 6 (CPZ) and zone 3 (LXZ) with values of 96.18 µg/m3 (exceeding 1.60 times the WHO Guidelines 2021) and 94.86 µg/m3 (exceeding 1.58 times the WHO Guidelines 2021), respectively. In each zone, the annual average O3 concentration tended to gradually increase from the inner delta to coastal areas. Two types of precursors, NOx and NMVOCs, are the main contributors to O3 pollution, with the largest contribution coming from zone 1 (FAZ) with 91.5 thousand tons of NOx/year and 455.2 thousand tons of NMVOCs/year. Among the meteorological factors considered, temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), and surface pressure (P) were the three main factors that contributed to the increase in ground-level ozone. The spatio-temporal distribution of ground-level O3 in the MDR was influenced by emission precursors from different zones as well as meteorological factors. The present results can help policy-makers formulate plans for agro-industrial development in the entire region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Ta Bui
- Laboratory for Environmental Modelling, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
- Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
| | - Phong Hoang Nguyen
- Laboratory for Environmental Modelling, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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Different Transport Behaviors between Asian Dust and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Urban Areas: Monitoring in Fukuoka and Kanazawa, Japan. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12115404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
To clarify different effects of Asian dust (AD), long-range transported from Asian continent, on total suspended particles (TSP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Japan, TSP were simultaneously collected during AD periods (from 1 March to 31 May 2020 and 2021) in Fukuoka and Kanazawa. During AD days, decided by Light Detection and Ranging and Japan Meteorological Agency, TSP concentrations increased significantly (p < 0.001) at two sampling sites. PAH concentrations increased in Kanazawa (p < 0.001) but not in Fukuoka on AD days. Correlation coefficients (r) between daily TSP and total PAHs concentrations were weak in Kanazawa: 0.521 (non-AD) and 0.526 (AD) (p < 0.01), and in Fukuoka: 0.321 (non-AD) and 0.059 (AD). However, correlation between seasonal (average monthly) TSP and total PAH concentrations were stronger: 0.680 (Kanazawa) and 0.751 (Fukuoka). The reasons might be that seasonal variations of TSP and total PAHs in two cities depend equally on planetary scale westerly, while daily TSP and total PAHs variations in each city varied by different transportation distances from AD and PAHs sources in the Asian continent to Japan. Different local sources and meteorological conditions were considered. These results are important for elucidating the causes of chronic and acute respiratory diseases.
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Influence of the Grid Resolutions on the Computer-Simulated Surface Air Pollution Concentrations in Bulgaria. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13050774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The present study aims to demonstrate the effects of horizontal grid resolution on the simulated pollution concentration fields over Bulgaria. The computer simulations are performed with a set of models used worldwide—the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF)—the meteorological preprocessor, the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ)—chemical transport model, Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emissions (SMOKE)—emission model. The large-scale (background) meteorological data used in the study were taken from the ‘NCEP Global Analysis Data’ with a horizontal resolution of 1° × 1°. Using the ‘nesting’ capabilities of the WRF and CMAQ models, a resolution of 9 km was achieved for the territory of Bulgaria by sequentially solving the task in several consecutive nested areas. Three cases are considered in this paper: Case 1: The computer simulations result from the domain with a horizontal resolution (both of the emission source description and the grid) of 27 km.; Case 2: The computer simulations result from the domain with a horizontal resolution (both of the emission source description and the grid) of 9 km.; Case 3: A hybrid case with the computer simulations performed with a grid resolution of 9 km, but with emissions such as in the 27 km × 27 km domain. The simulations were performed, for all the three cases, for the period 2007–2014 year, thus creating an ensemble large and comprehensive enough to reflect the most typical atmospheric conditions with their typical recurrence. The numerical experiments showed the significant impact of the grid resolution not only in the pollution concentration pattern but also in the demonstrated generalized characteristics. Averaged over a large territory (Bulgaria); however, the performances for cases one and two are quite similar. Bulgaria is a country with a complex topography and with several considerably large point sources. Thus, some of the conclusions made, though based on Bulgarian-specific experiments, may be of general interest.
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He L, Jin H, Wang J, Li J, Yu Q, Ma W. Zero-impact emission limits of enterprise-scale air pollutants-a case study of a typical petrochemical enterprise in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2022; 72:98-115. [PMID: 34748443 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2021.2002740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The implementation of pollutant emission control has made initial achievements in the plant power, iron, and steel industries in China. To further improve air quality, it is of great significance to carry out research on zero-impact emissions of the petrochemical industry. Based on the existing concept and practice of zero emissions, this study proposes the concept of zero-impact emissions, taking emission concentration as the constraint. A typical petrochemical enterprise (namely Enterprise A) in Shanghai Chemical Industry Park as the research object, and used the CALPUFF model to simulate the target pollutant emissions (i.e. sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)). The current emission standard, spatial distributions, and emission heights of chimneys in Enterprise A was considered as the baseline emission scenario and taking the zero-impact emission as a target for simulation. The results show that the current emission standards of NOx and VOCs (benzene) exceeded the zero-impact emission limits, and needed to be reduced by 22% and 87.5%, respectively. Moreover, the areas that exceeded the zero-impact concentration limits were located northwest of the chimneys and Hangzhou Bay. In terms of seasonal effects, the wind conditions in spring were more adverse for the enterprise to achieve zero-impact emissions. Based on the simulation, the zero-impact emission limits of SO2, NOx, PM, and VOCs (benzene) for Enterprise A were 50 mg/m3, 78 mg/m3, 10 mg/m3, and 0.32 mg/m3, respectively.Implications: Through case study, this paper solves the environmental management issue which is of universal significance for chemical industry park. The concept of zero-impact emissions and the determination method of zero-impact concentration limits proposed in this study could be used as references for related research on cutting emissions. Although the conclusion of this study about the emission limits is not suitable for other enterprises to apply directly, the calculation method of zero-impact emission limit can be used by other enterprises. Furthermore, the zero-impact emission limits on park scale can be determined after comprehensive evaluation based on the calculation results of multiple enterprises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Huiyu Jin
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Junyue Energy and Technology (Shanghai) Co, Ltd, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Policy Simulation and Assessment for Ecology and Environment Governance of Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Weichun Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Policy Simulation and Assessment for Ecology and Environment Governance of Shanghai, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Gavidia-Calderón ME, Ibarra-Espinosa S, Kim Y, Zhang Y, Andrade MDF. Simulation of O 3 and NO x in São Paulo street urban canyons with VEIN (v0.2.2) and MUNICH (v1.0). GEOSCIENTIFIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 14:3251-3268. [PMID: 38813117 PMCID: PMC7615997 DOI: 10.5194/gmd-14-3251-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
We evaluate the performance of the Model of Urban Network of Intersecting Canyons and Highways (MUNICH) in simulating ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) concentrations within the urban street canyons in the São Paulo metropolitan area (SPMA). The MUNICH simulations are performed inside the Pinheiros neighborhood (a residential area) and Paulista Avenue (an economic hub), which are representative urban canyons in the SPMA. Both zones have air quality stations maintained by the São Paulo Environmental Agency (CETESB), providing data (both pollutant concentrations and meteorological) for model evaluation. Meteorological inputs for MUNICH are produced by a simulation with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) over triple-nested domains with the innermost domain centered over the SPMA at a spatial grid resolution of 1 km. Street coordinates and emission flux rates are retrieved from the Vehicular Emission Inventory (VEIN) emission model, representing the real fleet of the region. The VEIN model has an advantage to spatially represent emissions and present compatibility with MUNICH. Building height is estimated from the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) local climate zone map for SPMA. Background concentrations are obtained from the Ibirapuera air quality station located in an urban park. Finally, volatile organic compound (VOC) speciation is approximated using information from the São Paulo air quality forecast emission file and non-methane hydrocarbon concentration measurements. Results show an overprediction of O3 concentrations in both study cases. NOx concentrations are underpredicted in Pinheiros but are better simulated in Paulista Avenue. Compared to O3, NO2 is better simulated in both urban zones. The O3 prediction is highly dependent on the background concentration, which is the main cause for the model O3 overprediction. The MUNICH simulations satisfy the performance criteria when emissions are calibrated. The results show the great potential of MUNICH to represent the concentrations of pollutants emitted by the fleet close to the streets. The street-scale air pollutant predictions make it possible in the future to evaluate the impacts on public health due to human exposure to primary exhaust gas pollutants emitted by the vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Eduardo Gavidia-Calderón
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergio Ibarra-Espinosa
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Youngseob Kim
- CEREA, Joint Laboratory École des Ponts ParisTech/EDF R&D, Université Paris-Est, 77455 Champs-sur-Marne, France
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria de Fatima Andrade
- Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
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Mehmood T, Ahmad I, Bibi S, Mustafa B, Ali I. Insight into monsoon for shaping the air quality of Islamabad, Pakistan: Comparing the magnitude of health risk associated with PM 10 and PM 2.5 exposure. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2020; 70:1340-1355. [PMID: 32841106 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2020.1813838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Monsoon plays a determinant role in defining the air quality of many Asian countries. Filter-based 24 h ambient PM10 and PM2.5 sampling was performed by using two paralleled medium volume air samplers during pre-and post-monsoon periods. A negligible change in PM2.5 mass concentration from 45.77 to 44.46 µg/m3 compared to PM10 from 74.34 to 142.49 µg/m3 was observed after the monsoon season. The air quality index (AQI) results showed that the air quality of the city retained from good to slightly polluted in both periods, where PM2.5 remained as the main detrimental to air quality in 95% of the total days. The NOAA HYSPLIT model analysis and wind rose patterns showed air trajectories, especially in post-monsoon originated from relatively polluted areas transported higher PM10. Meteorological attributes indicated a more conducive atmospheric condition for secondary pollution in the pre-monsoon. Evidence showed post-monsoon as a more polluted period, compared to the pre-monsoon and would pose an extra 1.07 × 10-3 lifetime risk to the local population. Similarly, a higher level of PM10 in the post-monsoon caused 43% more premature mortality and 41% more deaths from all-cause mortality compare to the pre-monsoon period, respectively. Implications: Pakistan is an under-developing country where pollution monitoring studies are decidedly limited. Notably, studies, concise PM2.5 and health assessment are deficient. The present study may contribute to evaluating the air quality in special events such as monsoon and can also provide scientific and technical support for subsequent air pollution research. Moreover, the results help to develop adequate prevention and pollution control strategies and offer policy suggestions for monsoon observing countries in general and in particular, in Islamabad, Pakistan. These findings provide essential arguments in favor of educating people and raising awareness about the detrimental health effects of air pollution. Improving the quality of life of people with cardiovascular and respiratory disorders requires an immediate and substantial reduction of air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tariq Mehmood
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University , Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University , Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ishaq Ahmad
- National Center for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University , Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Saira Bibi
- Institute of Advance Materials, Bahauddin Zakariya University , Multan, Pakistan
| | - Beenish Mustafa
- Department of Physics Nanjing University, Nanjing, People's Republic China
| | - Ijaz Ali
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University , Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Rao ST, Luo H, Astitha M, Hogrefe C, Garcia V, Mathur R. On the Limit to the Accuracy of Regional-Scale Air Quality Models. ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 2020; 20:1627-1639. [PMID: 32117469 PMCID: PMC7048235 DOI: 10.5194/acp-20-1627-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Regional-scale air pollution models are routinely being used world-wide for research, forecasting air quality, and regulatory purposes. It is well recognized that there are both reducible (systematic) and irreducible (unsystematic) errors in the meteorology-atmospheric chemistry modeling systems. The inherent (random) uncertainty stems from our inability to properly characterize stochastic variations in atmospheric dynamics and chemistry, and from the incommensurability associated with comparisons of the volume-averaged model estimates with point measurements. Because these stochastic variations are not being explicitly simulated in the current generation of regional-scale meteorology-air quality models, one should expect to find differences between the model estimates and corresponding observations. This paper presents an observation-based methodology to determine the expected errors from current generation regional air quality models even when the model design, physics, chemistry, and numerical analysis, as well as its input data, were "perfect". To this end, the short-term synoptic-scale fluctuations embedded in the daily maximum 8-hr ozone time series are separated from the longer-term forcing using a simple recursive moving average filter. The inherent uncertainty attributable to the stochastic nature of the atmosphere is determined based on 30+ years of historical ozone time series data measured at various monitoring sites in the contiguous United States. The results reveal that the expected root mean square error at the median and 95th percentile is about 2 ppb and 5 ppb, respectively, even for "perfect" air quality models driven with "perfect" input data. Quantitative estimation of the limit to the model's accuracy will help in objectively assessing the current state-of-the-science in regional air pollution models, measuring progress in their evolution, and providing meaningful and firm targets for improvements in their accuracy relative to ambient measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Trivikrama Rao
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Huiying Luo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Marina Astitha
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Christian Hogrefe
- Center for Environmental Measurement & Modeling, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Valerie Garcia
- Center for Environmental Measurement & Modeling, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Rohit Mathur
- Center for Environmental Measurement & Modeling, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC
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