Near-Roadway Air Pollution: Evaluation of Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and Ultrafine Particulate Matter (PM0.1) in Interior Alaska

Abstract

This report presents a study of fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine (PM0.1) particles in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) in Interior Alaska, with specific emphasis on the relationship of ultrafine particles (UFPs) to vehicular traffic. Chapter 1 provides a summary of published literature on particulates in air from vehicular emissions. Chapter 2 provides a novel and robust GIS-based data analysis approach to PM2.5 data collected by the FNSB. This analysis approach is convenient for identifying hotspots, as well as locations where PM2.5 changes either abruptly or continuously or does not change at all. The results reveal that average on-roadway PM2.5 concentrations are higher in North Pole than in Fairbanks, and mean levels are higher in stationary background monitoring data than in mobile monitoring on-roadway data. Not surprisingly, significant negative correlations were found between temperature and PM2.5. Chapter 3 presents the results from the data collection campaign to measure UFPs at roadside locations in Fairbanks and North Pole and investigate the relationship of UFPs with traffic and meteorological parameters. Multilinear predictive models were developed for estimation of UFPs and PM2.5 based on weather and traffic parameters. Overall, this study improves our understanding of on- and near-roadway particulates in a cold-climate region.