Understanding intra-neighborhood patterns in PM2.5 and PM10 using mobile monitoring in Braddock, PA.
BACKGROUND
Braddock, Pennsylvania is home to the Edgar Thomson Steel Works (ETSW), one of the few remaining active steel mills in the Pittsburgh region. An economically distressed area, Braddock exceeds average annual (>15 μg/m3) and daily (>35 μg/m3) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM2.5).


METHODS
A mobile air monitoring study was designed and implemented in morning and afternoon hours in the summer and winter (2010-2011) to explore the within-neighborhood spatial and temporal (within-day and between-day) variability in PM2.5 and PM10.


RESULTS
Both pollutants displayed spatial variation between stops, and substantial temporal variation within and across study days. For summer morning sampling runs, site-specific mean PM2.5 ranged from 30.0 (SD = 3.3) to 55.1 (SD = 13.0) μg/m3. Mean PM10 ranged from 30.4 (SD = 2.5) to 69.7 (SD = 51.2) μg/m3, respectively. During summer months, afternoon concentrations were significantly lower than morning for both PM2.5 and PM10, potentially owing to morning subsidence inversions. Winter concentrations were lower than summer, on average, and showed lesser diurnal variation. Temperature, wind speed, and wind direction predicted significant variability in PM2.5 and PM10 in multiple linear regression models.


CONCLUSIONS
Data reveals significant morning versus afternoon variability and spatial variability in both PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations within Braddock. Information obtained on peak concentration periods, and the combined effects of industry, traffic, and elevation in this region informed the design of a larger stationary monitoring network.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. bjt25@pitt.edu
Brett J
BJ
Tunno
Kyra Naumoff
KN
Shields
Paul
P
Lioy
Nanjun
N
Chu
Joseph B
JB
Kadane
Bambang
B
Parmanto
Gede
G
Pramana
Jennifer
J
Zora
Cliff
C
Davidson
Fernando
F
Holguin
Jane E
JE
Clougherty
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000531:Altitude; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016014:Linear Models; D008669:Metallurgy; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D012621:Seasons; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013232:Steel; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; D013232:Steel