AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
Evaluation of Black Carbon and Carbon Monoxide Levels at Low Traffic Sites in Tijuana-Tecate, Mexico Air Basin
Jesus Guerrero-García, Guillermo Rodríguez-Ventura, JAVIER EMMANUEL CASTILLO-QUIÑONES, Lilia Hurtado, Penelope Quintana, Miguel Zavala, Luisa Molina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California
Abstract Number: 548 Working Group: Carbonaceous Aerosols in the Atmosphere
Abstract Recent studies in CalMex 2010 shown that black carbon (BC) is an important pollutant associated to PM2.5 and CO emission in Tijuana air basin. State Report of Air Emissions, for Tijuana-Playas de Rosarito region, estimates emissions of PM2.5 and CO are 76,873.7 and 5,936.9 tons/year respectively. This study aimed to compare BC levels in low traffic urban air of Tijuana-Tecate region, to investigate the distribution of BC and CO to provide scientific information needed in mapping out, an appropriate air quality management. Measuring was carried out by an aethalometer at one low traffic site in Tijuana and one in Tecate, Mexico during two periods between January and February 2013. Meteorological and CO concentrations data were provided from the Monitoring Stations of the Secretary of Environmental Protection of Baja California (SPABC). In general, BC and CO average hourly concentration in Tijuana site was 1.07 µg/m3 and 1.52 ppm appeared to be higher than Tecate site with 0.32 µg/m3 and 0.56 ppm respectively.
Time series for BC and CO shown high Spearman correlations for Tijuana site (rs =0.84, p<0.05) and ΔBC/ΔCO = 1.03 µg m-3 ppm-1, and for Tecate site (rs =0.64, p<0.05) and ΔBC/ΔCO = 0.61 µg m-3 ppm-1. Prevalent wind direction in this study suggests BC and CO transport from Tijuana to south Tecate municipality. BC diurnal concentration showed a similar behavior like other urban areas with higher levels in weekdays than weekends, except in Tecate site.