title: Evaluation and optimization of an urban PM2.5 monitoring network.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the PM(2.5) monitoring network established in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky metropolitan area for measuring the 24 h integrated PM(2.5) concentration, as well as-at selected sites-hourly PM(2.5) concentration and 24 h integrated PM(2.5) speciation. The data collected during three years at 13 measurement sites were analyzed for spatial and temporal variations. It was found that both daily and hourly concentrations of PM(2.5) have low spatial variation due to a regional influence of secondary ammonium sulfate. In contrast, the trace element concentrations had high spatial variation. Seasonal variation accounted for most of the total temporal variation (60%), while yearly, monthly, weekly and daily variations were lower. The variance components and cluster analyses were applied to optimize the number of sites for measuring the 24 h PM(2.5) concentration. It was found that the 13-site network may be optimized by reducing the number of sites to 8, which would result in a relative precision reduction of 9% and a relative cost reduction of 36%. At the same time, the data suggest that the spatial resolution of speciation monitors and real-time PM(2.5) mass monitors should be increased to better represent spatial and temporal variations of the markers of local air pollution sources.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Dainius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martuzevicius
authors.forename: Junxiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reponen
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.forename: Sergey A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Grinshpun
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000645:Ammonium Sulfate / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007629:Kentucky; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009820:Ohio; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012621:Seasons; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D014504:Urban Health; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D014131:Trace Elements; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D000645:Ammonium Sulfate