AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Temporal and Spatial Variability of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Fresno, California, 2014-2015
HILARY MINOR, Betsey Noth, David Vaughn, Jaymin Kwon, Charles Perrino, S. Katharine Hammond, Fred Lurmann, Sonoma Technology, Inc.
Abstract Number: 552 Working Group: Health Related Aerosols
Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are combustion byproducts that are known carcinogens and toxic air contaminants associated with adverse respiratory health effects and birth outcomes. We have measured airborne PAHs in Fresno, California, using continuous analyzers and filter samplers since 2001. During winter 2014-2015, PAHs were measured daily in Fresno during four 3-to-4 day sampling waves as part of the Children’s Health Air Pollution Study–San Joaquin Valley (CHAPS-SJV). The instrumentation was deployed at 14 sampling locations that were selected to capture exposure to high and low traffic activity as well as high and low likelihood of residential wood-burning activities.
The long record of PAH measurements with consistent sampling and analysis techniques in a single community affords an opportunity to report long-term trends in ambient levels, specifically winter average PAH levels. We evaluate the extent to which the observed spatial patterns match the study design. To characterize the spatial variations statistically, we compare the daily spatial coefficients of variation across days in 2014 and with similar data for 2002-2003. We examine how the magnitude of spatial variation varies with mean concentration level and meteorology. The purpose of these analyses is to address the importance of incorporating within-community spatial and temporal variations in models of CHAPS-SJV participants’ personal PAH exposure.