Transportation Conformity Particulate Matter Hot-Spot Air Quality Modeling

In light of the new development in particulate matter (PM) hot-spot regulations and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation requirements, this project is intended to (1) perform and demonstrate modeling of motor vehicle–generated PM in Illinois’s PM2.5 nonattainment and maintenance areas [in IDOT Districts 1, 3, and 8 (northeastern Illinois and Metro East)], (2) identify data needs and gaps in PM2.5 hot-spot modeling, (3) gain technical insights into PM hot-spot modeling, and (4) understand uncertainties and limitations of PM hot-spot modeling. Three required regulatory models are investigated: MOVES, the latest U. S. Environmental Protection Agency mobile source emission model, and AERMOD and CAL3QHCR which are air dispersion models authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for PM hotspot conformity analyses. For all three models, model inputs, parameters, model capability, model performance, and output are investigated thoroughly through one pilot study and three case studies - one highway project in the East St. Louis metropolitan area, and two arterial street-signal intersection projects located in both Chicago and Metro East areas. Major findings of the modeling exercises, modeling experience and insight, an/d recommendation for future work are discussed in the report.Illinois Department of Transportation R27-93published or submitted for publicationnot peer reviewe

Personal Exposure to Air Pollution in the Vicinity of U.S.-Mexico Border Crossings

69A3551747128This study focused on evaluating pollutant exposures in border crossing regions. Specifically, the study focused on particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure data collected from a group of schoolteachers in the El Paso region in Texas. The region is a gateway for freight movement between the United States and Mexico. A pool of teachers working at a school close to the border crossing area carried a backpack equipped with an air quality monitoring device and a portable global positioning system tracking device. A spatiotemporal exposure assessment was conducted to assess exposure in different microenvironments visited, with findings showing higher mean concentrations at school than either during commuting or at home. Personal monitoring results were also found to be higher by an average of 81 percent than readings from a regulatory monitor and a monitor placed outside the school. These findings highlight a need to expand the coverage and capabilities of current air quality monitoring networks in the region and to improve the indoor air quality in schools using targeted abatement techniques