Grantee Research Project Results
2004 Progress Report: Real-Time Monitoring and Communication of Levels of Fine Particles, Ozone, and Black Carbon in Northern Manhattan
EPA Grant Number: R829324Title: Real-Time Monitoring and Communication of Levels of Fine Particles, Ozone, and Black Carbon in Northern Manhattan
Investigators: Muller, Rick , Kinney, Patrick L. , Prakash, Swati
Current Investigators: Kulikowski, Robert R. , Kinney, Patrick L. , Prakash, Swati
Institution: Borough President of Manhattan , West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT for Environmental Justice) , Columbia University in the City of New York
Current Institution: Borough President of Manhattan , Columbia University in the City of New York , West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT for Environmental Justice)
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 12, 2001 through October 11, 2005 (Extended to October 11, 2006)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 12, 2003 through October 11, 2004
Project Amount: $378,458
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Environmental Statistics , Water , Aquatic Ecosystems , Air
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to develop and implement real-time monitoring, data management, and public communication of ambient levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone, and black carbon (BC) in the Northern Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem and Washington Heights. These data will be communicated to Northern Manhattan residents in a way that is accessible and understandable and that can be utilized by residents to reduce their exposures and health risks.
Progress Summary:
The research project is broken down into three major tasks: (1) compiling or creating real-time data on ambient air quality in Northern Manhattan; (2) managing these data; and (3) communicating to the public. The first category is divided into two aspects—accessing data that already are being generated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and generating our own data on BC with an aethalometer. Data management consists of integrating data on all three pollutants, as well as air quality indices and forecasts for PM2.5 and ozone into a single database. From this database, data are interpreted as graphs and charts and uploaded as numerical and descriptive values onto a Web site as part of the third phase of the research project—communications. The communications portion of this research project consists primarily of a Web site, updated hourly, that displays the most recent readings for all three pollutants, with extensive content and background on air pollution.
Monitoring
West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) received the extended range aethalometer, a BC monitor, from Magee Scientific in July 2004. The aethalometer was set up for in-house testing and configuration purposes. It also was transported to an offsite location to compare readings with an identical monitor owned and operated by Columbia University to establish a baseline for background noise and calibrate accordingly. We have been delayed, however, by technical problems with the aethalometer that currently are being remedied. Specifically, when the instrument first was received it worked correctly for 1 week. Then it stopped working and displayed an error message, suggesting a problem with the lamp in the instrument. It was returned to the manufacturer for servicing and sent back to WE ACT at the end of September. The instrument functioned correctly for 4 days and then stopped, with the same error message displayed. The aethalometer was to be replaced with a new instrument from the manufacturer by late 2004.
Data Management
A temporary Data Management Center has been set up, and source code has been written that enables it to automatically access hourly data from the EPA AirNow network of monitors. These national monitors collect hourly data from 1,481 locations for ozone, 493 locations for PM2.5, and 56 locations for PM10. Future forecast and calculated Air Quality Index (AQI) data also are obtained for 280 cities in the United States. Next day forecast for the Ultraviolet Index is obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Maryland. Web cam images showing environmental haze are obtained from the Northeast Haze Cam network of cameras. When the permanent Data Management Center is set up and all hardware and software elements are integrated, we also will collect ambient pollen observations and forecast predictions as well as current meteorological information and BC data from our aethalometer.
Communications
The Web site content consists of approximately 40 pages of textual and background information on air quality, its health effects, regulatory standards, and monitoring methods. Relevant images will be incorporated into the text, and we currently are inquiring about obtaining copyright permission where necessary (i.e., the Haze Cam images). The site also will provide links to relevant resources and organizations. All content has been evaluated and approved by the key partners in the research project. Site design and information flow are being organized by WE ACT. The domain name for the Web site was registered with an approved Internet registry early in the project. All information will be available at http://www.UptownSky.org Exit . The e-mail announcement system has not been completed yet. We are evaluating whether it may be best for us to set up our own listserv or use a popular medium such as Topica.com. Once we have installed the final Data Management Center, we will be able to finalize this decision, as well as decide the best way to integrate the telephone hotline to assist individuals who may not have Internet/e-mail access or may be visually impaired.
Future Activities:
Monitoring
The major obstacle to the completion of the monitoring portion of this research project has been equipment malfunctions with the aethalometers purchased from Magee Scientific. We will fix the aethalometer or replace it with a new instrument from the manufacturer by mid-November.
Data Management
The aethalometer is equipped with a floppy disk drive to store data on standard 1.44 MB floppy disks. It also is equipped with a communications port that will allow the data to be pulled automatically from the monitor by a data logger. As yet, we have not obtained the data logger that will be connected to the aethalometer and allow the harnessing of real-time data for analysis and inclusion on the Web site. Bypassing the manual floppy disk process will be a primary accomplishment when all components are purchased and connected. Currently, the floppy disk is removed once a week and the log files are transferred to the temporary Data Management Center to archive and test the source code that will shape the data into the appropriate format required for the automatic generation of charts and graphs. We have been able to fine-tune some of the code to import the data into a database that can be queried easily for values. The full version of the program that will query the database to actually generate the charts and graphs has not been purchased yet. This database structure also will hold the data for PM2.5 and ozone that will be imported automatically every hour from the AirNow network of monitors.
The communications package that will link the source code and the modem on the data logger for remote access to the data files has not been purchased yet. Recently, we finished testing several options for getting the data from the aethalometer and have worked on the appropriate purchase request forms to obtain the most cost/function-effective equipment.
The Data Hosting Center computer that will manage the Web site content and interactive pages has not been purchased yet. This computer will be responsible for hosting the Web site, the various listservs (if it is more feasible to do so onsite), a system to query the data, and charts and graphs for previous days. The computer essentially will be a backup to the data collected and analyzed by the Data Management Center computer. To assist in following through, the domain name that we have registered for this research project currently is linked to a temporary section of the WE ACT Web site so that we can test various layouts and collaborate with partners.
Revised Timeline
November 2004
- Obtain working aethalometer and complete calibration.
- Obtain remaining software and equipment needed to complete communications programming.
- Launch Web site with content, even if the data are not available.
December-January 2005
- Complete programming to: (1) transfer automatically data measured by the aethalometer to the Data Management Center; (2) allow hourly data for all three pollutants to be uploaded automatically to the Uptown Sky Web site; and (3) convert these data into graphs and charts showing the real-time measurements for all three pollutants as well as the AQI for ozone and PM2.5.
January 2005
- Launch Web site with an emphasis on PM2.5 readings.
February-June 2005
- Conduct community outreach to raise the profile of the Web site.
- Collect evaluation data and other feedback on Web site and adjust accordingly.
- Add interested individuals to email alert system to enable them to receive notification via email when levels of PM2.5 or ozone are predicted to reach a selected air quality category other than “good.”
- Issue e-mail alerts when predicted and actual levels of PM2.5 reach moderate or worse.
May 2005
- Conduct press conference to publicize Web site and the start of the ozone season.
May-September 2005
- Issue email alerts when predicted and actual levels of ozone reach moderate or worse.
January-September 2005
- Ongoing evaluation.
September 2005
- Final evaluation.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 15 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
ambient air, fine particulate matter, PM2.5, ozone, diesel, elemental carbon, urban, asthma, minority population, children, elderly, New York City, Northeast, monitoring, community-based, mobile sources, youth, transportation, EPA Region 2,, RFA, Health, Scientific Discipline, Air, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, particulate matter, Bioavailability, Health Risk Assessment, air toxics, Environmental Chemistry, Epidemiology, State, Monitoring/Modeling, Disease & Cumulative Effects, Environmental Monitoring, Biochemistry, tropospheric ozone, particulates, health effects, ambient air quality, sensitive populations, urban air, atmospheric measurements, EMPACT, monitoring, PM 2.5, air pollutants, effects assessment, particulate, stratospheric ozone, airway disease, pulmonary disease, ozone, continuous monitoring, ambient air, air pollution, children, carbon black, particles, human exposue, clinical studies, human exposure, sensitive subgroups, ecological risk, urban soot, ambient particulates, Acute health effects, PM2.5, allergic response, measurement methods , atmospheric chemistryRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.