Hourly land-use regression models based on low-cost PM monitor data

Land-use regression (LUR) models provide location and time specific estimates of exposure to air pollution and thereby improve the sensitivity of health effects models. However, they require pollutant concentrations at multiple locations along with land-use variables. Often, monitoring is performed over short durations using mobile monitoring with research-grade instruments. Low-cost PM monitors provide an alternative approach that increases the spatial and temporal resolution of the air quality data. LUR models were developed to predict hourly PM concentrations across a metropolitan area using PM concentrations measured simultaneously at multiple locations with low-cost monitors. Monitors were placed at 23 sites during the 2015/16 heating season. Monitors were externally calibrated using co-located measurements including a reference instrument (GRIMM particle spectrometer). LUR models for each hour of the day and weekdays/weekend days were developed using the deletion/substitution/addition algorithm. Coefficients of determination for hourly PM predictions ranged from 0.66 and 0.76 (average 0.7). The hourly-resolved LUR model results will be used in epidemiological studies to examine if and how quickly, increases in ambient PM concentrations trigger adverse health events by reducing the exposure misclassification that arises from using less time resolved exposure estimates

Long-Term Changes of Source Apportioned Particle Number Concentrations in a metropolitan Area of the Northeastern United States

The northeastern United States has experienced significant emissions reductions in the last two decades leading to a decrease in PM2.5, major gaseous pollutants (SO2, CO, NOx) and ultrafine particles (UFPs) concentrations. Emissions controls were implemented for coal-fired power plants, and new heavy-duty diesel trucks were equipped with particle traps and NOx control systems, and ultralow sulfur content is mandatory for both road and non-road diesel as well as residual oil for space heating. At the same time, economic changes also influenced the trends in air pollutants. Investigating the influence of these changes on ultrafine particle sources is fundamental to determine the success of the mitigation strategies and to plan future actions. Particle size distributions have been measured in Rochester, NY since January 2002. The particle sources were investigated with positive matrix factorization (PMF) of the size distributions (11–470 nm) and measured criteria pollutants during five periods (2002–2003, 2004–2007, 2008–2010, 2011–2013, and 2014–2016) and three seasons (winter, summer, and transition). Monthly, weekly, and hourly source contributions patterns were evaluated

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Particulate Matter Health Effects Research Centers Program: a midcourse report of status, progress, and plans.

In 1998 Congress mandated expanded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) health effects research on ambient air particulate matter (PM) and a National Research Council (NRC) committee to provide research oversight. The U.S. EPA currently supports intramural and extramural PM research, including five academically based PM centers. The PM centers in their first 2.5 years have initiated research directed at critical issues identified by the NRC committee, including collaborative activities, and sponsored scientific workshops in key research areas. Through these activities, there is a better understanding of PM health effects and scientific uncertainties. Future PM centers research will focus on long-term effects associated with chronic PM exposures. This report provides a synopsis of accomplishments to date, short-term goals (during the next 2.5 years) and longer-term goals. It consists of six sections: biological mechanisms, acute effects, chronic effects, dosimetry, exposure assessment, and the specific attributes of a coordinated PM centers program

Culture, Neurobiology, and Human Behavior: New Perspectives in Anthropology

Our primary goal in this article is to discuss the cross-talk between biological and cultural factors that become manifested in the individual brain development, neural wiring, neurochemical homeostasis, and behavior. We will show that behavioral propensities are the product of both cultural and biological factors and an understanding of these interactive processes can provide deep insights into why people behave the way they do. This interdisciplinary perspective is offered in an effort to generate dialog and empirical work among scholars interested in merging aspects of anthropology and neuroscience, and anticipates that biological and cultural anthropology converge. We discuss new theoretical developments, hypothesis-testing strategies, and cross-disciplinary methods of observation and data collection. We believe that the exigency of integrating anthropology and the neurosciences is indisputable and anthropology's role in an emerging interdisciplinary science of human behavior will be critical because its focus is, and has always been, on human biological and cultural systems

Regional Nucleation Events and Sources of Submicron Particles in Rochester (NY)

Extensive measurements of particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size distribution (PNSD) have been performed in Rochester (NY) since 2001. These long-term data allow assessment of past and current mitigation strategies for air pollution in the Northeastern US. This study investigates the three most recent years of data (2014/16). Results show an average of 4.3·103 particles/cm3, of which 1.4·103, 2.3·103, and 0.7·103 particles cm3 were classified as nucleation (14-30 nm), Aitken nuclei (30-100 nm) and accumulation (100-470 nm) ranges, respectively. Annually, total PNC show two maxima, one on February and one during summer (May to September), while the daily pattern of PNC show two peaks related to the traffic rush hours (one in the early morning, one in the late afternoon-evening). Nucleation sized particles also show an evident increase during daytime, which is broadly comparable with the nucleation events driven by photochemical transformations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to identify and quantify the major airborne particle sources. Data were separately analyzed for summer, winter, and transition periods. For each period, 5 to 7 factors were apportioned and identified (nucleation, traffic, domestic and residential heating, secondary aerosol and ozone-rich aerosol). The application of PMF post-processing tools was useful to: (i) study the patterns of sources; (ii) depict the role of atmospheric photochemical processes; (iii) examine the locations of potential local sources by mean of conditional bivariate probability function analysis and (iv) investigate the role of regional transport of air masses to the concentrations of resolved sources. Finally, the contour plots of SMPS data were examined: an algorithm was applied to identify potential nucleation events and distinguish them between traffic nucleation events and regional photochemical nucleation events

Regional Nucleation Events and Sources of Submicron Particles in Rochester (NY)

Extensive measurements of particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size distribution (PNSD) have been performed in Rochester (NY) since 2001. These long-term data allow assessment of past and current mitigation strategies for air pollution in the Northeastern US. This study investigates the three most recent years of data (2014/16). Results show an average of 4.3·103 particles/cm3, of which 1.4·103, 2.3·103, and 0.7·103 particles cm3 were classified as nucleation (14-30 nm), Aitken nuclei (30-100 nm) and accumulation (100-470 nm) ranges, respectively. Annually, total PNC show two maxima, one on February and one during summer (May to September), while the daily pattern of PNC show two peaks related to the traffic rush hours (one in the early morning, one in the late afternoon-evening). Nucleation sized particles also show an evident increase during daytime, which is broadly comparable with the nucleation events driven by photochemical transformations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to identify and quantify the major airborne particle sources. Data were separately analyzed for summer, winter, and transition periods. For each period, 5 to 7 factors were apportioned and identified (nucleation, traffic, domestic and residential heating, secondary aerosol and ozone-rich aerosol). The application of PMF post-processing tools was useful to: (i) study the patterns of sources; (ii) depict the role of atmospheric photochemical processes; (iii) examine the locations of potential local sources by mean of conditional bivariate probability function analysis and (iv) investigate the role of regional transport of air masses to the concentrations of resolved sources. Finally, the contour plots of SMPS data were examined: an algorithm was applied to identify potential nucleation events and distinguish them between traffic nucleation events and regional photochemical nucleation events