NSF/CONACyT: Integrated Air Modeling Approach to PM Source Apportionment at the USA/Mexico Border

0220079 Light犹他大学(UofU)和蒙特雷高级技术研究所(Ietto Tecnologico y de EStudios Superdios de蒙特雷)参与了一项合作的环境颗粒物(PM)空气质量模拟研究，该研究位于美国和墨西哥边境的下里奥格兰德河谷(LRGV)选定区域。特别关注在几个大型边境城市附近观察到的具有非常高的PM水平的特殊晚间事件，据报道至少与一个地区的死亡风险增加有关。合作伙伴最近参与了北帕索机场的一项全面的PM表征和源归属研究，并建议通过交叉验证PM受体建模(使用受体和源表征数据的因子分析来估计主要来源的贡献)的结果和PM源建模结果(使用区域排放估计和基于地理和气象学的扩散模型来预测特定接收点的晚上PM浓度)，来使用一种新的、综合的方法来进行PM源解析。这两种方法的成功集成应该允许在有限的采样位置和仅由受体建模提供的时间点之间进行一定程度的内插，同时允许校准源建模预测。其他潜在好处包括改善各种人群的PM暴露风险评估机会，以及对广泛报道的24小时PM平均值与城市死亡率和发病率之间的统计关联进行更详细的评估。大多数PM受体表征和建模任务将由UOF U团队执行，而源测量和建模任务的主要责任将由ITESM团队承担。测量、数据融合、评估和解释任务的集成将需要两个团队的高度协调努力，这是一项由NSF-CONACyT合作研究机会计划支持的国际合作。

0220079 Lighty The University of Utah (UofU) and the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) are involved in a collaborative air quality modeling study of ambient particulate matter (PM) in selected areas of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) section of the USA/Mexico border. Special attention is being given to the peculiar evening episodes with very high PM levels observed near several large border cities and reported to be associated with increased mortality risk in at least one region.The partners have recently participated in a comprehensive PM characterization and source attribution study of the Paso del Norte airshed and propose to use a novel, integrated approach to PM source apportionment by cross-validating the results of PM Receptor Modeling (using factor analysis of receptor and source characterization data to estimate major source contributions) with PM Source Modeling results (using area emission estimates and geography- plus meteorology-based dispersion models to predict evening PM concentrations at specific receptor sites). Successful integration of both methods should permit some degree of interpolation between the limited sampling locations and time points afforded by Receptor Modeling alone while enabling calibration of Source Modeling predictions. Other potential benefits include improved PM exposure risk assessment opportunities for various population groups and more detailed evaluation of the widely reported statistical association between 24-hr PM averages and urban mortality plus morbidity. Most of the PM receptor characterization and modeling tasks will be carried out by the Uof U team whereas primary responsibility for the source measurement and modeling tasks will be undertaken by the ITESM team. Integration of measurement, data fusion, evaluation, and interpretation tasks will require a highly coordinated effort by both teams, an International Collaboration being supported by the NSF-CONACyT Collaborative Research Opportunities Program.