Bulletin of ANPA

Abstract submitted to ANPA Conference July 14–16, 2023

Volume 5, Number 1

Astronomy /Space Science /Cosmo Science/ Atmospheric

Abstract ID: ANPA2023-N00013

Abstract:

ANPA2023-N00013: Long-term Observation of Air Pollution Trends over Massachusetts, USA

Authors:

• Rudra Aryal; Franklin Pierce University

• Madhu Gyawali*; *San Jacinto College-South Campus, TX

• Cameron Brunt*; Herald College in Kathmandu, Nepal

• Sujan Neupane; Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH

• Morgan Schmutzler; Prithvi Narayan Campus, Tribhuvan University (TU), Pokhara, Nepal

• Jeevan Regmi; Baptist Health Science University, Memphis, TN

• Yadav Pandit; Worcester State University, Worcester, MA

• Nabin Malakar;

Harmful chemicals in our atmosphere negatively impact the environment and human health. This research study analyzed air pollution data from the past ten years (2012-2022) in Massachusetts, explicitly examining levels of toxins like lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10 in different counties. Data on the levels of pollutants were measured and reported by the United States Protection Agency (EPA) and analyzed in a study that examined air quality variations on a monthly, seasonal, and yearly basis. The study found that areas with higher population densities had more significant air pollution, while areas with lower populations had less. Suffolk, which encompasses Boston, had the highest levels of air pollution, whereas Nantucket had the lowest. The study aims to compare the ground-based Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) measurements taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with those from the European Space Agency (ESA) TROPOMI (TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument) satellite. It examines NO2 as it is one of the major pollutants involving respiratory diseases like asthma, which can result in symptoms like coughing and wheezing, causing lung harm. Moreover, there is a large amount of data on this component. Furthermore, nitrogen oxides interact with other atmospheric chemicals, resulting in acid rain, particulate matter, and ozone, significant contributors to declining air quality in urban and industrial areas. We also utilized the TROPOMI satellite and the U.S. EPA NO2 products to create a mapping of NO2 levels both from space and on the ground. The impact of COVID-19 on the levels of tropospheric NO2 in Massachusetts was analyzed using NO2-based measurements. This helped determine how long COVID-19 had an effect and how the decrease in traffic affected air pollution. Additionally, the study estimated the impact on other air pollutants.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: https://anpaglobal.org/conference/2023/ANPA2023-N00013