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PM Supersites
Contact Paul Solomon
Scientific Problem and Policy Issues In 1997, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated new National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5 (particulate matter in air with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less). States in areas exceeding the federal particulate matter (PM) NAAQS are required to develop State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that describe their approaches to reducing PM concentrations to a level below the NAAQS standards. At the time of promulgation of the 1997 PM NAAQS, there was significant uncertainty regarding the sources, atmospheric changes, measurement methods, and the health effects of PM 2.5. To help address this uncertainty, the EPA initiated the PM Supersites Program. (See http://www.epa.gov/ttn/ amtic/ supersites.html ) The Supersites program had three major objective areas: to characterize particulate matter; to support PM health effects and exposure research; and to test new and emerging measurement methods for PM. The PM Supersites Program consisted of monitoring activities in eight areas of the country ( Atlanta, Baltimore, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis). These areas were selected to represent a wide range of environmental conditions for the formation of PM, including different types of sources and different meteorological conditions.
Research Approach The PM Supersites program was highly leveraged with other ongoing air quality monitoring programs. The timing of these many programs was such that several -intensive measurement efforts coincided during 2001 and 2002. These intensive measurement campaigns, referred to collectively as the Eastern Supersites Program, gathered surface air quality and meteorological data, as well as, data from higher altitudes using aircraft and continuous meteorological monitoring equipment. While permanent data storage from the PM Supersites is provided at the NARSTO Quality Systems Science Center (See http://cdiac.ornl.gov/programs/NARSTO/ ), a number of researches saw the need to compile the data from Eastern Supersites Program into a user-friendly, relational database available to atmospheric and health researchers and key stakeholders. EPA, in collaboration with the University of Maryland, designed and developed the Supersites Integrated Relational Database (SIRD). The database is available at http://sird.ce.gatech.edu/.
The Eastern Supersites Program developed from initial efforts to coordinate the research at the five Supersites Projects located in the eastern half of the United States into a comprehensive measurement program during July 2001. Other air quality monitoring programs in the eastern part of the US were asked to participate , resulting in a one month measurement period that included nearly 30 air quality and meteorological programs. This coordinated effort became known as the Eastern Supersites Program. Additional intensive measurement periods were conducted in January 2002 and again in July 2002. Eventually, measurement data was expanded beyond the Supersites Program to include almost all available air quality and meteorological data from across the United States for the time period from June 2001 to August 2002.
Results and Implications Significant advancements in measurement methods, atmospheric characterization, and understanding of source-receptor relationships have resulted from the Supersites Program. Over 250 articles discussing the results have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals). Results confirmed general characteristics of airborne particulate matter and provided a deeper understanding of its sources, formation, and fate. States have begun to develop emission reduction strategies in support of their PM2.5 SIPs using the Supersites Program data. These data are strengthening the scientific basis of the SIPs and suggesting more effective control strategies for meeting the PM2.5 NAAQS; thus, better protecting public health and the environment.
The Supersites Program data and results also provide the health community with a wide variety of chemical and physical information about PM at varying spatial and temporal scales not otherwise attainable in current monitoring networks. The air monitoring communities (e.g., states) benefit from the Supersites Program due to the evaluation and advancement of measurement methods, evaluated under a wide variety of conditions. The modeling community benefits from the Supersites Program by having access to regional and national data for model evaluation through SIRD and NARSTO
Research Collaboration and Publications Preparation of the SIRD was supported by funding from EPA’s ORD and OAR. The database was developed in collaboration with the University of Maryland. Over 30 organizations provided data to this database, including Meteorological Service of Canada, making this an international database. Contributing organizations included federal agencies (NOAA National Park Service, and DOE); private industry (e.g., Southern Company, Georgia Power Company, Tennessee Valley Authority, Mineral Management Services, Chevron) ; industrial consortia (e.g., EPRI); universities (Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, Clarkson University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and NYU) ; several state agencies (e.g., Texas, Florida, North Carolina, California, Michigan, New York) ; multistate organizations (Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium (LADCO), MARAMA, NESCAUM, Central States Air Resource Agencies, Southeastern States Air Resource Managers); and RPOs (Midwest RPO, Mid-Atlantic Northeast-Visibility Union, Visibility Improvement State and Tribal Association of the Southeast, Central Regional Air Planning Association).
The database is available at http://supersitesdata.umd.edu/.
Other key stakeholders include EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), EPA’s Office of Research and Development, EPA Regional Offices, other federal agencies (e.g., Department of Energy, NOAA, Department of Interior - National Park Service), and private industry and industrial organizations (e.g., EPRI).