Atmospheric Pollutants Trends Over Puerto Rico Following Hurricane María

Anthropogenic primary and secondary atmospheric pollutant emissions are controlled by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) due to their negative effects on public health and the environment. These restrictions are known as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and include Pb, SO₂, NO₂, CO, O₃, and particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀). After the destruction caused by hurricane María, most of Puerto Rico found itself without power, causing an increase in the use of backup power generators which are notorious for incomplete combustion. The main objective of this project is to evaluate air quality (AQ) over the San Juan Metro Area (SJMA) and Yabucoa a year after the hurricane, and how it improved with the slow reestablishment of the electrical power grid. Concentration of atmospheric pollutants were measured beginning in November 2017, using Real-time, Affordable, Multi-Pollutant (RAMP) air quality monitors. Over the course of one year following the hurricane, the RAMPs have been located at Puerto Nuevo, Rio Piedras (University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras and a residential area), Cataño, University of Puerto Rico-Carolina (UPR-C), and Yabucoa. At the UPR-RP, Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT), which describes the depth of the aerosol atmospheric layer based on its optical properties, has also being measured using a Microtops II sun photometer. Results have shown that SO₂ and ozone concentrations and AOD values have drop at every single station since the hurricane. This behavior seems to be related to the decrease in power generator usage with the recovery of electrical power over the SJMA. Further understanding these trends is critical to evaluating and informing recovery efforts in areas affected by natural disaster.