Pollution Free Cities: Monitoring Roadside Air Pollution and Urban Health Impacts

Friday, February 15, 2013

Monitoring Roadside Air Pollution and Urban Health Impacts

Evolution of Air Pollution Monitoring in Ottawa (60 slide ppt, Natty Urquizo and Martha Robinson, Upwind Downwind Conference 2012, Hamilton, ON, Feb. 27, 2012)
or in pdf format here:evolution of air pollution monitoring in ottawa

Also discussed here: Ottawa Air Quality Information System(10 page pdf, Natividad Urquizo, Daniel Spitzer, William Pugsley and Martha Robinson, 44th Annual Congress of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, Ottawa, ON, May 29-June 4, 2010)

And here: Mapping Small Scale Air Pollution Distribution using Satellite Observations an a Large Canadian City(6 page pdf, Natividad Urquizo; D. Spitzer; W. Pugsley and M. Robinson, 11th Conference on Atmospheric Chemistry of the annual conference of the American Meteorological Society at Phoenix AZ, Jan. 12, 2009)

And here: Is Air Quality Affecting Your Health?(John Lorinc, UofT Magazine, Jan. 11, 2013)

Today we review a paper presented at the biannual Upwind-Downwind Conference in Hamilton that describes the development of a fairly unique urban air quality program. The program was given a boost in 2007 by a project that combined satellite air quality data from space with observations from a dozen ground stations to produce maps at 10 km resolution at 10 minute intervals for a year over the national capital area (which includes the twin cities of Ottawa and Gatineau). Further applications of these data with real-time traffic flow data allowed for mapping down to the street level in downtown Ottawa and assessments of health impacts near these roads which showed that over 50% of schools and old age homes are located within 50 m of heavy traffic, placing the most vulnerable residents at risk from vehicle emissions. A new program has just been announced by the University of Toronto to examine similar applications of roadside emissions and health impacts in Canada’s largest city.

Key Quotes: Satellite AQ Pilot Project (2007-2008)

“Map pollution concentration spatially hour by hour to identify patterns (“hot spots”)
One full year of monitoring (Jul’07-Jun’08) six major pollutants:Nitrogen oxides (NO, NO₂, NOx), Ground Level ozone, Carbon Monoxide, Particulate Matter 2.5
Three months of integrating satellite data and ground monitoring stations”

Health Assessment Model (2010-11)

Translate Air Quality maps from the pilot project (2008) into meaningful health impacts (morbidity, mortality and $$$)
Use Air Quality Benefits Assessment Tool (AQBAT)
Obtain a tool for health impact assessments of changing traffic flows”