Date of Award

2018-01-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Civil Engineering

Advisor(s)

Wen-Whai Li

Abstract

Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the influence of traffic related air pollution at near-road communities and the associated health risks for these populations. This study uses on-site air quality monitors to characterize air pollutants at near-road schools in El Paso, TX to understand children's exposure to traffic-related air pollutants. Ambient air monitoring stations were installed at Coldwell Elementary, Bliss Elementary, and a residential house located in close proximity to major inter-state roadways. In this study, air quality data for PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3 was collected over a period of nine weeks in Fall 2018. The spatial and temporal variability in the pollutant concentrations in this region was assessed by comparing air quality data obtained from the study with central ambient monitoring sites. All on-site monitors recorded similar trends in measured pollutant across all examined sites. Higher concentrations of PM10 were recorded at Bliss Elementary. Spearman correlations, coefficient of divergence, and diurnal graphs help to characterize the differences in the pollutant levels between these sites. The results suggest a spatial and temporal variability between the sites examined and available CAMS sites. It is recommended that studies performed in El Paso employ on-site measurements to avoid exposure misclassification and erroneous estimations from using distant CAMS sites.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

57 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Adan Rangel

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