Mobile Optical Remote Sensing of Fugitive VOC-Emissions in the South Coast Air Basin during 4 Years - Comparison to Inventories and Impact on Human Exposure
Abstract
Industrial volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions may cause direct health problems and contribute significantly to ozone formation. In order to investigate how small sources contribute to the VOC concentrations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area a comprehensive emission study has been carried out on behalf of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). Emission measurements of alkanes, alkenes, aromatic VOCs and methane from major sources such as refineries, oil wells, petrol stations oil depots and oil platforms were measured in an intensive campaign during the fall of 2015 using several unique optical methods, including the Solar Occultation Flux method (SOF) and tracer correlation technique based on extractive FTIR and DOAS combined with an open path multi reflection cell. In the period 2017-2018 these measurements have been continued every 3 months on several of the identified hot spot emission sites. The objective has been to study the time evolution and annual variation of the emission sources and their impact on the surroundings. The latter has been carried out by mobile mapping of VOC concentrations downwind of the sources and comparison to low cost portable PID sensors. The results from the field campaigns show that the emissions from the above mentioned sources are largely underestimated in inventories with potential impact on the air quality in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In this paper we will present the results from the measurements in the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB), California.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.A33G3206M
- Keywords:
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- 0345 Pollution: urban and regional;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0368 Troposphere: constituent transport and chemistry;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 0394 Instruments and techniques;
- ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTUREDE: 3394 Instruments and techniques;
- ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES