Grantee Research Project Results
2007 Progress Report: Texas Joint Center for Air Quality
EPA Grant Number: X832317Center: UT Center for Infrastructure Modeling and Management
Center Director: Hodges, Ben R.
Title: Texas Joint Center for Air Quality
Investigators: Hitchcock, David , Allen, David T.
Institution: The University of Texas at Austin
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: September 1, 2005 through August 31, 2008
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2006 through August 31,2007
Project Amount: $969,300
RFA: Targeted Research Center (2004) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Targeted Research
Objective:
Approach:
In pursuit of the Center's objectives, the overall goal of the Center is to further the understanding of air quality phenomena affecting Texas urban areas through field studies and the analysis of promising solutions. Toward this goal, the Center will address the following objectives:
- To identify candidate transportation practices, technologies and control measures
- To develop and apply methods and criteria for determining the regional fit of transportation options
- To assess the effects of selected transportation options on air quality
- To test or demonstrate promising transportation options
- To assess the extent of ozone and fine particulate matter transport
- To characterize air pollution meteorology in all seasons
- To refine and evaluate inventories of ozone precursors and fine particulates
- To develop and improve simulation tools
- To communicate results to researchers and policymakers
Progress Summary:
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The TexAQS II project (University of Texas at Austin – UT): This project is complete.
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MOBILE 6 High Speed Emission Rates (Texas Transportation Institute, TexasA&M – TTI): This project is complete.
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Marine Vessel Use of Bio-Fuel (Texas A&M Galveston – TAMUG): This project is 50% complete (through the period of this report) after experiencing delays in conducting the requisite emissions testing of bio-diesel fueled marine engines. The project has acquired a detailed dataset from the U.S. Coast Guard on marine vessel movement in area waterways. These are sufficiently detailed to model emissions once emission testing is complete. The project work plan and schedule are being reviewed for completion by the end of August, 2008.
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Photocatalytic Coating on Road Pavements/Structures for NOx Abatement (Lamar University): This project is 90% complete (through the period of this report – to be completed by August 30, 2008).
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Effects of Atmospheric Aging on Ozone, Secondary Aerosol and Particulate Matter and Air Toxics (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill): Work on this project had just begun (through the period of this report – to be completed by June 30, 2008).
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MOBILE6 CO and NOx emissions over/under estimation (The University of Texas at Austin): Work on this project had just begun (through the period of this report – to be completed by June 30, 2008).
Expected Results:
During the first year of operation, the Joint Center will form a nine member Advisory Committee comprised of transportation and air research scientists plus other air quality organization members. The Committee will help guide the research process to achieve the Center's goals. Committee members will also provide needed liaisons with other air research activities and advisory groups such as the Texas Environmental Research Consortium, the Science Synthesis Committee, and the Texas Air Research Center. Other research organizations will be engaged in the implementation of specific tasks of the Center.
Future Activities:
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Leverage combined purchasing power of the coalition members
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Pooling resources for demonstration program and early technology adoptoin
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Vigorous pursuit of State and Federal grants to offset incremental cost of technology
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Conferences to disseminate important technology information to members and the public
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Information sharing between members and technology providers
- The biodiesel/marine vessel project (TAMUG) will determine how emission testing will be accomplished and incorporate any revised method or tasks in to the project. Development of computer modeling for the spatial distribution of vessel emissions will continue to be developed.
- The MOBILE6 CO and NOx emissions over/under estimation (UT) project will examine whether the ratio of CO to NOx emissions predicted by MOBILE6 is higher than observed values near selected Texas roadways. The results of the Texas study will also be compared with data collected in Los Angeles and other cities. The project work plan and schedule are being reviewed for completion in August 2008.
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The effects of atmospheric aging on ozone, secondary aerosol and particulate matter and air toxics (UNC) project is underway. Significant use of B100 may impact air quality, beneficially or negatively. While direct emissions are important, such emissions will undergo photochemical reaction and participate in the formation of ozone, primary particulate matter (PM), secondary organic aerosols (SOA), and air toxics in the atmosphere. The study will use fresh and photochemically aged conditions to compare photochemical results of each fuel by itself and mixed with a realistic urban-like mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and NOx. The results of these experiments will provide direct observational data of any important differences in bio- and petro-diesel. In addition, in vitro toxicological tests are being performed with cultured human lung cells to compare the relative toxicity of fresh and photochemically aged bio- and petro-diesel emissions as measured by increased inflammation and cell death. The project work plan and schedule are scheduled for completion in June of 2008.
Journal Articles: 3 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other center views: | All 11 publications | 3 publications in selected types | All 3 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Feldman MS, Howard T, McDonald-Buller E, Mullins G, Allen DT, Webb A, Kimura Y. Applications of satellite remote sensing data for estimating dry deposition in eastern Texas. Atmospheric Environment 2007;41(35):7562-7576. |
X832317 (Final) |
Exit Exit Exit |
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Simon H, Allen DT, Wittig AE. Fine particulate matter emissions inventories: comparisons of emissions estimates with observations from recent field programs. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association 2008;58(2):320-343. |
X832317 (Final) |
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Webster M, Nam J, Kimura Y, Jeffries H, Vizuete W, Allen DT. The effect of variability in industrial emissions on ozone formation in Houston, Texas. Atmospheric Environment 2007;41(40):9580-9593. |
X832317 (Final) |
Exit Exit Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
Healthy communities and ecosystems, air, ozone, particulate matter, Texas, TX Region 6, air-shed model, transportation and clean air and climate change,, RFA, Air, climate change, Air Pollution Effects, AtmosphereProgress 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.