scholarly journals Impact of 4th of July Fireworks on Spatiotemporal PM2.5 Concentrations in California Based on the PurpleAir Sensor Network: Implications for Policy and Environmental Justice

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5735
Author(s):  
Amirhosein Mousavi ◽  
Yiting Yuan ◽  
Shahir Masri ◽  
Greg Barta ◽  
Jun Wu
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Los Angeles County ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
The Impact

Fireworks are often used in celebration, causing short term, extremely high particulate matter air pollution. In recent years, the rapid development and expansion of low-cost air quality sensors by companies such as PurpleAir has enabled an understanding of air pollution at a much higher spatiotemporal resolution compared to traditional monitoring networks. In this study, real-time PM2.5 measurements from 751 PurpleAir sensors operating from June to July in 2019 and 2020 were used to examine the impact of 4th of July fireworks on hourly and daily PM2.5 concentrations at the census tract and county levels in California. American Community Survey (ACS) and CalEnviroScreen 3.0 data were used to identify correlations between PM2.5 measurements and socioeconomic status (SES). A two-step method was implemented to assure the quality of raw PM2.5 sensor data and sensor calibration against co-located reference instruments. The results showed that over 67% and 81% of counties experienced immediate impacts related to fireworks in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Relative to 2019, the peak PM2.5 concentrations on July 4th and 5th 2020 were, on average, over 50% higher in California, likely due to the COVID-19-related increase in the use of household-level fireworks. This increase was most pronounced in southern counties, which tend to have less strict firework-related regulations and a greater use of illegal fireworks. Los Angeles County experienced the highest July 4th daily PM2.5 levels both in 2019 (29.9 µg·m−3) and 2020 (42.6 µg·m−3). Spatial hot spot analyses generally showed these southern counties (e.g., Los Angeles County) to be regional air pollution hotspots, whereas the opposite pattern was seen in the north (e.g., San Francisco). The results also showed PM2.5 peaks that were over two-times higher among communities with lower SES, higher minority group populations, and higher asthma rates. Our findings highlight the important role that policy and enforcement can play in reducing firework-related air pollution and protecting public health, as exemplified by southern California, where policy was more relaxed and air pollution was higher (especially in 2020 when the 4th of July coincided with the COVID-19-lockdown period), and in disadvantaged communities where disparities were greatest.

Disability and the Urban Environment: A Perspective on Los Angeles

1986 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Disabled Persons ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Geographic Dispersion ◽  
Personal Appearance ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Increasingly, research on disability has been guided by a definition that focuses on the interaction between the individual and the environment and by a minority-group perspective based on the propositions that discriminatory attitudes are the primary source of the problems of disabled citizens, that the environment is shaped by public policy, and that policies reflect prevalent social attitudes and values. The implications of this approach for an analysis of the experience of disabled persons in Los Angeles are examined by assessing major characteristics of this urban area such as geographic dispersion, the absence of a sense of community, and the impact of pervasive standards of personal appearance. The investigation indicates a pressing need to provide increased accessibility for disabled residents to fulfill constitutional principles of freedom and equality.

ResearchandTest Facilitiesof the Los Angeles County Air Pollution Control District

1963 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-115
Author(s):  
S. Smith Griswold ◽  
Arthur A. Atkisson ◽  
Robert E. Neligan ◽  
Frank Bonamassa ◽  
Wallace Linville
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Los Angeles County ◽  
Air Pollution Control

scholarly journals Ambient Air Quality Measurement with Low-Cost Optical and Electrochemical Sensors: An Evaluation of Continuous Year-Long Operation

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Jiří Bílek ◽  
Ondřej Bílek ◽  
Petr Maršolek ◽  
Pavel Buček
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Sensor Network ◽  
Electrochemical Sensors ◽  
Reference Method ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Dust Particles ◽  
Concentration Changes ◽  
The Impact

Sensor technology is attractive to the public due to its availability and ease of use. However, its usage raises numerous questions. The general trustworthiness of sensor data is widely discussed, especially with regard to accuracy, precision, and long-term signal stability. The VSB-Technical University of Ostrava has operated an air quality sensor network for more than two years, and its large sets of valid results can help in understanding the limitations of sensory measurement. Monitoring is focused on the concentrations of dust particles, NO2, and ozone to verify the impact of newly planted greenery on the reduction in air pollution. The sensor network currently covers an open field on the outskirts of Ostrava, between Liberty Ironworks and the nearby ISKO1650 monitoring station, where some of the worst air pollution levels in the Czech Republic are regularly measured. In the future, trees should be allowed to grow over the sensors, enabling assessment of the green barrier effect on air pollution. As expected, the service life of the sensors varies from 1 to 3 years; therefore, checks are necessary both prior to the measurement and regularly during operation, verifying output stability and overall performance. Results of the PMx sensory measurements correlated well with the reference method. Concentration values measured by NO2 sensors correlated poorly with the reference method, although timeline plots of concentration changes were in accordance. We suggest that a comparison of timelines should be used for air quality evaluations, rather than particular values. The results showed that the sensor measurements are not yet suitable to replace the reference methods, and dense sensor networks proved useful and robust tools for indicative air quality measurements (AQM).

Maritime Administration’s Formulation of a Maritime Energy and Clean Emissions Program

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Gore
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
The State ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Local Pressures

The Environmental Protection Agency promulgation of “Control of Emissions of Air Pollution from New Marine Compression Ignition Engines at or above 37 kW,” on December 29, 1999, marked the first time federal air pollution regulations were directly applied to marine engines for commercial U.S. ships. Perhaps surprisingly, these regulations are not having as much impact as are individual State Implementation Plans (SIP) for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) attainment, and local political pressures. These regional plans and pressures are forcing many domestic marine operators and ports to get a quick education on the cause and mitigation of air pollution. Cases in point, include: • The State of Alaska now fines passenger vessels that enter ports with greater than allowable stack gas opacities. One cruise operator has opted to plug into shore power when its vessels are tied up to pier. • In the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach vessel operators have been asked to slow vessel speeds below normal while entering and exiting in a voluntary attempt to reduce NOx emissions. • Environmentalists in the San Francisco Bay Area are applying significant political pressures to ensure proposed new ferry systems emit a minimum of air pollution. • The State of Texas briefly considered stopping all industrial equipment in the Port of Houston for twelve hours per day as a method of decreasing area ozone formation. • Potential NOx emissions generated during imminent channel dredging in the Port of New York and New Jersey is impeding the development of the latest State Implementation Plan. Local pressures are likely to continue to grow, federal regulations are set to become more stringent, and international conventions loom on the horizon. However, as expected in such a competitive industry, concerns are often focused on the bottom line in which cost of operations is a pre-eminent factor. It was in view of these dynamics that the federal Maritime Administration (MARAD) recently launched the Maritime Energy and Clean Emissions Program. This paper introduces the Program, including the background, evolution, and progress of each strategic goal. This paper is intended to be an overview. Attention is paid to the potential transferability and/or development of technologies not previously deployed in the U.S. marine environment. Any of the specific projects described could become the basis for a separate technical paper.

scholarly journals Cost of near-roadway and regional air pollution–attributable childhood asthma in Los Angeles County

2014 ◽  
Vol 134 (5) ◽  
pp. 1028-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Brandt ◽  
Laura Perez ◽  
Nino Künzli ◽  
Fred Lurmann ◽  
John Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Childhood Asthma ◽  
Los Angeles County ◽  
Regional Air Pollution

scholarly journals Ambient Air Pollution and Autism in Los Angeles County, California

2013 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Ann Becerra ◽  
Michelle Wilhelm ◽  
Jørn Olsen ◽  
Myles Cockburn ◽  
Beate Ritz
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Los Angeles County ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution

scholarly journals Feasibility and acceptability of monitoring personal air pollution exposure with sensors for asthma self-management

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherrie Xie ◽  
Jessica R. Meeker ◽  
Luzmercy Perez ◽  
Whitney Eriksen ◽  
Anna Localio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Battery Life ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Spatiotemporal Resolution ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Pollution Exposure

Abstract Background Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the risk of asthma exacerbations, and thus, monitoring personal exposure to PM2.5 may aid in disease self-management. Low-cost, portable air pollution sensors offer a convenient way to measure personal pollution exposure directly and may improve personalized monitoring compared with traditional methods that rely on stationary monitoring stations. We aimed to understand whether adults with asthma would be willing to use personal sensors to monitor their exposure to air pollution and to assess the feasibility of using sensors to measure real-time PM2.5 exposure. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 adults with asthma to understand their willingness to use a personal pollution sensor and their privacy preferences with regard to sensor data. Student research assistants used HabitatMap AirBeam devices to take PM2.5 measurements at 1-s intervals while walking in Philadelphia neighborhoods in May–August 2018. AirBeam PM2.5 measurements were compared to concurrent measurements taken by three nearby regulatory monitors. Results All interview participants stated that they would use a personal air pollution sensor, though the consensus was that devices should be small (watch- or palm-sized) and light. Patients were generally unconcerned about privacy or sharing their GPS location, with only two stating they would not share their GPS location under any circumstances. PM2.5 measurements were taken using AirBeam sensors on 34 walks that extended through five Philadelphia neighborhoods. The range of sensor PM2.5 measurements was 0.6–97.6 μg/mL (mean 6.8 μg/mL), compared to 0–22.6 μg/mL (mean 9.0 μg/mL) measured by nearby regulatory monitors. Compared to stationary measurements, which were only available as 1-h integrated averages at discrete monitoring sites, sensor measurements permitted characterization of fine-scale fluctuations in PM2.5 levels over time and space. Conclusions Patients were generally interested in using sensors to monitor their personal exposure to PM2.5 and willing to share personal sensor data with health care providers and researchers. Compared to traditional methods of personal exposure assessment, sensors captured personalized air quality information at higher spatiotemporal resolution. Improvements to currently available sensors, including more reliable Bluetooth connectivity, increased portability, and longer battery life would facilitate their use in a general patient population.

scholarly journals As the Wind Blows: The Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution on Mortality

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1886-1927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Los Angeles ◽  
Infant Health ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Adult Mortality ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Life Years ◽  
The Impact

Abstract There is strong evidence that short-run fluctuations in air pollution negatively impact infant health and contemporaneous adult health, but there is less evidence on the causal link between long-term exposure to air pollution and increased adult mortality. This project estimates the impact of long-term exposure to air pollution on mortality by leveraging quasi-random variation in pollution levels generated by wind patterns near major highways. I combine geocoded data on the residence of every decedent in Los Angeles over three years, high-frequency wind data, and Census short form data. Using these data, I estimate the effect of downwind exposure to highway-generated pollutants on the age-specific mortality rate by using orientation to the nearest major highway as an instrument for pollution exposure. I find that doubling the percentage of time spent downwind of a highway increases mortality among individuals 75 or older by 3.8%–6.5%. These estimates are robust and imply significant loss of life years.

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