Mobile Air Quality Monitoring in Ellensburg During Winter 2015
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom B/C/D
Start Date
21-5-2015
End Date
21-5-2015
Keywords
Air Quality, Environmental Chemistry, Black Carbon
Abstract
Ambient particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM 2.5) has been shown to correlate with serious health issues such as pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, as well as asthma. In recent years, air quality in Ellensburg has exceeded the national 24-hr average of 35 µg/m3 during winter months as well as during wild fire events, yet continuous air quality monitoring for the Ellensburg area is limited to a single monitoring site on top of the Hal Holmes Community Center. The purpose of this Department of Ecology funded research was to further characterize the sources and geographic distribution of PM in Ellensburg during colder evenings in January through March of 2015. To this end, three different types of instruments were placed in a vehicle and a set track of ~16 miles was driven five times over the course of one evening to obtain air quality data in the area. Instruments consisted of two Enviromental Protection Agency-approved portable nephelometers (for PM2.5), one aethelometer (for black carbon), and two microaethelometers (for personal monitoring of black carbon). Geographic information system (GIS) mapping tools and statistical software programs will be used to analyze the data geographically, temporally, and comparatively to identify hotspots. Results from this research will aid in understanding causes of poor air quality in Ellensburg and, thus, be used to mitigate against further deterioration of our air as well as to increase awareness of air quality issues in our community.
Recommended Citation
Baker, Megan; Gibbs, Kelsey; and Schulte, Jill, "Mobile Air Quality Monitoring in Ellensburg During Winter 2015" (2015). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 24.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2015/posters/24
Poster Number
30
Department/Program
Chemistry
Additional Mentoring Department
Chemistry
Mobile Air Quality Monitoring in Ellensburg During Winter 2015
SURC Ballroom B/C/D
Ambient particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM 2.5) has been shown to correlate with serious health issues such as pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, as well as asthma. In recent years, air quality in Ellensburg has exceeded the national 24-hr average of 35 µg/m3 during winter months as well as during wild fire events, yet continuous air quality monitoring for the Ellensburg area is limited to a single monitoring site on top of the Hal Holmes Community Center. The purpose of this Department of Ecology funded research was to further characterize the sources and geographic distribution of PM in Ellensburg during colder evenings in January through March of 2015. To this end, three different types of instruments were placed in a vehicle and a set track of ~16 miles was driven five times over the course of one evening to obtain air quality data in the area. Instruments consisted of two Enviromental Protection Agency-approved portable nephelometers (for PM2.5), one aethelometer (for black carbon), and two microaethelometers (for personal monitoring of black carbon). Geographic information system (GIS) mapping tools and statistical software programs will be used to analyze the data geographically, temporally, and comparatively to identify hotspots. Results from this research will aid in understanding causes of poor air quality in Ellensburg and, thus, be used to mitigate against further deterioration of our air as well as to increase awareness of air quality issues in our community.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Anne Johansen