Comparative Assessment of Pollutant Concentrations and Meteorological Parameters from TCEQ CAMS Sites at Houston and Rio Grande Valley Regions of Texas, USA in 2016
Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in pollutant concentrations exists at
the intra-urban level. In this research work, the concentrations of various
pollutants and meteorological parameters are characterized between various
central ambient monitoring sites at Houston, TX, and the Rio Grande Valley
Regions of South Texas. Meteorological (temperature, relative humidity, wind
speed and direction) and pollutant (O3, SO2, CO, NO2, and various PM species) concentrations were
downloaded from the appropriate Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ) Central Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) sites for the year 2016.
Correlation Analyses and Coefficient of Divergence (COD) analyses suggest that
statistically significant differences occur between the various TCEQ CAMS sites
in the Houston Region. Findings from this study will help the various
stakeholders involved in assessing the overall air pollutants exposure burden
for the local populations.
References
[1]
Franklin, M., Zeka, A. and Schwartz, J. (2007) Association between PM2.5 and All-Cause and Specific-Cause Mortality in 27 US Communities. Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 17, 279-287. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500530
[2]
Che, W., Frey, H.C., Li, Z.Y., Lao, X.Q. and Lau, A.K.H. (2019) Indoor Exposure to Ambient Particles and Its Estimation Using Fixed Site Monitors. Environmental Science & Technology, 53, 808-819. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b04474
[3]
Bell, M.L., Ebisu, K., Peng, R.D., Walker, J., Samet, J.M., Zeger, S.L. and Dominici, F. (2008) Seasonal and Regional Short-Term Effects of Fine Particles on Hospital Admissions in 202 US Counties, 1999-2005. American Journal of Epidemiology, 168, 1301-1310. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwn252
[4]
USEPA (2021) The Evolution of the Clean Air Act. https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/evolution-clean-air-act
[5]
Godish, T., Davis, W.T. and Fu, J.S. (2014) Air Quality. 5th Edition, CRC Press, Hoboken. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17341
[6]
Raysoni, A.U., Stock, T.H., Sarnat, J.A., Montoya Sosa, T., Ebelt Sarnat, S., Holguin, F., Greenwald, R., Johnson, B. and Li, W.W. (2013) Characterization of Traffic-Related Air Pollutant Metrics at Four Schools in El Paso, Texas, USA: Implications for Exposure Assessment and Siting Schools in Urban Areas. Atmospheric Environment, 80, 140-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.07.056
[7]
Raysoni, A.U., Sarnat, J.A., Sarnat, S.E., Garcia, J.H., Holguin, F., Luvano, S.F. and Li, W.W. (2011) Binational School-Based Monitoring of Traffic-Related Air Pollutants in El Paso, Texas (USA) and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (Mexico). Environmental Pollution, 159, 2476-2486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2011.06.024
[8]
Sarnat, S.E., Raysoni, A.U., Li, W.W., Holguin, F., Johnson, B.A., Luevano, S.F., Garcia, J.H. and Sarnat, J.A. (2012). Air Pollution and Acute Respiratory Response in a Panel of Asthmatic Children along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120, 437-444. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1003169
[9]
Pinto, J.P., LeFohn, A.S. and Shadwick, D.S. (2004) Spatial Variability of PM2.5 in Urban Areas in the United States. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 54, 440-449. https://doi.org/10.1080/10473289.2004.10470919
[10]
Marshall, J.D., Teoh, S.-K. and Nazaroff, W.W. (2005) Intake Fraction of Nonreactive Vehicle Emissions in U.S. Urban Areas. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 1363-1371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.11.008
[11]
Askariyeh, M.H., Vallamsundar, S., Zietsman, J. and Ramani, T. (2019) Assessment of Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Case Study of Pregnant Women in South Texas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, Article 2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132433
[12]
Patton, A.P., Perkins, J., Zamore, W., Levy, J.I., Brugge, D. and Durant, J.L. (2014) Spatial and Temporal Differences in Traffic-Related Air Pollution in Three Urban Neighborhoods near an Interstate Highway. Atmospheric Environment, 99, 309-321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.09.072
[13]
Gonzalez, M., Qualis, C., Hudgens, E. and Neas, L. (2005) Characterization of a Spatial Gradient of Nitrogen Dioxide across a United States-Mexico Border City during Winter. Science of the Total Environment, 337, 163-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.07.010
[14]
Kim, K.H., Kabir, E. and Kabir, S. (2015) A Review on the Human Health Impact of Airborne Particulate Matter. Environment International, 74, 136-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.10.005
[15]
Londahl, J., Massling, A., Pagels, J., Swietlicki, E., Vaclavik, E., Loft, S., et al. (2007) Size-Resolved Respiratory-Tract Deposition of Fine and Ultrafine Hydrophobic and Hygroscopic Aerosol Particles during Rest and Exercise. Inhalation Toxicology, 19, 109-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/08958370601051677
[16]
Cadelis, G., Tourres, R. and Moline, J. (2014) Short-Term Effects of the Particulate Pollutants Contained in Saharan Dust on the Visits of Children to the Emergency Department Due to Asthmatic Conditions in Guadeloupe (French Archipelago of the Caribbean). PLoS ONE, 9, e91136. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0091136
[17]
Meister, K., Johansson C. and Forsberg, B. (2012) Estimated Short-Term Effects of Coarse Particles on Daily Mortality in Stockholm, Sweden. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120, 431-436. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1103995
[18]
Holguin, F., Flores, S., Ross, Z., Cortez, M., Molina, M., Molina, L., et al. (2007) Traffic-Related Exposures, Airway Function, Inflammation, and Respiratory Systems in Children. American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, 176, 1236-1242. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200611-1616OC
[19]
Johansson, C., Norman, M. and Gidhagen, L. (2007) Spatial and Temporal Variations of PM10 and Particle Number Concentrations in Urban Air. Environmental Monitoring Assessment, 127, 477-487. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9296-4
[20]
Dockery, D.W., Pope, C.A., Xu, X., Spengler, J.D., Ware, J.H., Fay, M.E., Ferris, B.G. and Speizer, F.E. (1993) An Association between Air Pollution and Mortality in Six U.S. Cities. New England Journal of Medicine, 329, 1753-1759. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199312093292401
[21]
Liu, M., Barkjohn, K.K., Norris, C., Schauer, J.J., Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Hu, M. and Bergin, M. (2020) Using Low-Cost Sensors to Monitor Indoor, Outdoor, and Personal Ozone Concentrations in Beijing, China. Environmental Science Processes & Impacts, 22, 131-143. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EM00377K
[22]
Zhang, J.F., Wei, Y.J. and Fang, Z.F. (2019) Ozone Pollution: A Major Health Hazard Worldwide. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, Article 2518. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02518
[23]
National Weather Service (2021) The Official South Texas Hurricane Guide 2021.
[24]
Houston: Geography and Climate. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-South/Houston-Geography-and-Climate.html
[25]
Hurricane Preparedness, Rio Grande Valley: High Winds and Tornadoes. https://www.weather.gov/bro/hurrprep_winds
[26]
Atkinson, S. The Effects of Wind Direction on Houston Weather. https://www.theweatherprediction.com/weatherpapers/078/index.html
