title: Aviation Emissions Impact Ambient Ultrafine Particle Concentrations in the Greater Boston Area.
abstract: Ultrafine particles are emitted at high rates by jet aircraft. To determine the possible impacts of aviation activities on ambient ultrafine particle number concentrations (PNCs), we analyzed PNCs measured from 3 months to 3.67 years at three sites within 7.3 km of Logan International Airport (Boston, MA). At sites 4.0 and 7.3 km from the airport, average PNCs were 2- and 1.33-fold higher, respectively, when winds were from the direction of the airport compared to other directions, indicating that aviation impacts on PNC extend many kilometers downwind of Logan airport. Furthermore, PNCs were positively correlated with flight activity after taking meteorology, time of day and week, and traffic volume into account. Also, when winds were from the direction of the airport, PNCs increased with increasing wind speed, suggesting that buoyant aircraft exhaust plumes were the likely source. Concentrations of other pollutants [CO, black carbon (BC), NO, NO2, NOx, SO2, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)] decreased with increasing wind speed when winds were from the direction of the airport, indicating a different dominant source (likely roadway traffic emissions). Except for oxides of nitrogen, other pollutants were not correlated with flight activity. Our findings point to the need for PNC exposure assessment studies to take aircraft emissions into consideration, particularly in populated areas near airports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hudda
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership , Somerville, Massachusetts 02145, United States.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zamore
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University , Boston, Massachusetts 02111, United States.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brugge
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University , Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Durant
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000401:Aircraft; D059028:Airports; D001900:Boston; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055904:Meteorology; D010316:Particle Size; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D012828:Silicones; D053260:Soot; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis; D014919:Wind
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012828:Silicones; D053260:Soot; D001335:Vehicle Emissions