Design and Development of a Multi-Metal Mobile Platform (MMMP): Status Update and Preliminary Results
MOHAMMAD SOWLAT, Steven Boddeker, Avi Lavi, Christopher Lim, Sina Hasheminassab, Faraz Ahangar, Julia Montoya-Aguilera, Pami Mukherjee, Jamie Berg, Payam Pakbin, Andrea Polidori,
South Coast Air Quality Management District Abstract Number: 130
Working Group: Urban Aerosols
AbstractAmbient particulate metals are an important category of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) with known detrimental impacts on human health. Given the large spatio-temporal variability in ambient concentrations of particulate metals, information from sparsely distributed fixed air monitoring networks may not adequately reflect their levels and trends, especially in disproportionately impacted (i.e., Environmental Justice (EJ)) communities. Mobile monitoring techniques are a potential solution, as they enable capturing of the spatial variations of the target pollutant(s) within a short period of time. In this study, we developed a novel platform for mobile monitoring of multiple ambient particulate metals using an optimized X-Ray Fluorescence- (XRF) based instrument. The instrumentation aboard the platform also enables the measurement of aerosol characteristics, including size-resolved (0.253-35.15 μm) particle mass and number, total particle number concentration (PNC), and black carbon (BC); trace gases, including NO2 and CO2; and meteorological parameters, including wind speed and direction; all in fine time resolutions (seconds to minutes). Previously, we presented an overview of the design criteria, features, and characterization of the platform. In this presentation, we provide an update on its development status, discuss challenges encountered, and delineate a comprehensive strategy for the application of the MMMP for both mobile and stationary monitoring. We also present preliminary results of the field application of the MMMP and demonstrate how it can be used for concentration mapping, source identification, and source characterization.