Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
7.5 Examining the Impact of Regional-Scale Air
Quality Regulations on Human Health Outcomes
V.C. Garcia
1
, E. Gego
2
, R. Jones
3
, S. Lin
3
, C.I. Pantea
3
, S.T. Rao
1
,
and
Adrienne Wootten
4
1
Atmospheric Modeling and Analysis Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Raleigh, NC, USA
2
GEGO and Associates, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
3
New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
4
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
Abstract
The NO
x
State Implementation Plan Call was issued by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides from
the electric power sector to curtail the regional transport of the secondarily-formed
pollutant, ozone. As emission control actions often come at a significant economic
cost, it is important to understand whether such regulations have reduced air
pollution and improved public health and the environment as originally anticipated.
In this paper, we examine the relationships among meteorological transport patterns,
ozone concentration levels and respiratory-related hospital admissions across New
York State using trajectory analysis and other spatial and statistical approaches.
Preliminary results from this analysis are presented in the paper.
Keywords
Air quality, air pollution and health, air pollution, transport
1. Introduction
The Clean Air Act requires that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
set National Ambient Air Quality Standards for pollutants considered harmful to
public health and the environment. Previous research has shown that high ambient
ozone concentrations are harmful to humans (e.g., Bell et al., 2005; Ito et al.,
2005). While ozone is not directly emitted, the formation and distribution of ozone
is driven by chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides (NO
x
) and Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs), as well as interactions with meteorological factors.
NOx and the secondarily formed ozone can be transported downwind, contributing
to pollutant levels at locations much farther from the emission sources, potentially
impacting human health in downwind areas. As a result, the NO
x
State Imple-
mentation Plan (SIP) Call was issued by the EPA to reduce the transport of ozone.
