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ASSESSING TRANSBOUNDARY INFLUENCES IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY (COMMUNITY SUMMARY)
Citation:
Mukerjee, S, D. S. Shadwick, K. E. Dean, L. Y. Carmichael, J. J. Bowser, AND L J. Purdue. ASSESSING TRANSBOUNDARY INFLUENCES IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY (COMMUNITY SUMMARY). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/S-99/004, 1999.
Description:
The Lower Rio Grande Valley Transboundary Air Pollution Project (TAPP) was done to determine if movement of air pollutants across the U.S.-Mexico border was occurring in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (hereinafter called "the Valley") and, if so, the extent. The study was conducted from March 1996 to March 1997 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission TNRCC). The study objectives were to:
a) Determine the air quality within the Valley and establish a baseline of air quality data for future reference.
b) Determine the movement of air pollutants across the U.S.-Mexican border.
c) Define what, if any, additional studies might be needed.
Monitoring was done at three fixed sites located very close to the U.S.-Mexican border. Inhalable particulate matter (PM), chemical elements, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and pesticides were measured. Short-term fine inhalable particle sampling was inducted to estimate potential episodes of emissions. Meteorological measurements (weather data) were also collected.
Based on the daily and near real-time monitoring conducted over the year, the study data suggest that the air quality in the Brownsville area of the Valley was good. The reason for this was that the vast majority of air pollutants were lower or comparable to published reference values and data collected in other areas. During the study period, movement of air pollution plumes across the border did not appear to cause noticeable deterioration of air quality. The dominance of sea breezes from the Gulf of Mexico was largely responsible for the relatively clean air conditions observed. A full assessment of possible cross-border movement of air pollution was limited since air monitoring was restricted to the U.S. side of the border and emissions from air pollution sources were not measured. Still, the TAPP establishes a baseline for future air monitoring studies in the Valley.