Abstract
The Michigan Pollution Assessment Laboratory (MPAL) is a mobile air quality monitoring platform designed to measure conventional, toxic, and greenhouse gas (GHG) air pollutants. The spatially and temporally resolved data collected can be used for multiple purposes, such as mapping spatial patterns and identifying peaks. The truck-based platform includes instrumentation for 11 gaseous pollutants and for particulate matter (PM), size distribution (7 nm to 20 μm), PM10, black and brown carbon, and trace metals. MPAL is equipped with meteorological instruments, a high-accuracy GPS, forward and reverse cameras, and a data logging and display system. We selected commercially available instrumentation based on sensitivity, response time, and robustness. The vehicle’s power system allows ~ 6.5 h of continuous operation with all instruments operating. This article details the design, construction, and evaluation of MPAL and summarizes data collected in its first year (March 2019 to March 2020) of operation. We completed a series of runs on 84 days in Detroit, Michigan, an area with a diverse set of traffic, industrial, and commercial emission sources, and collected 265,816 1-s observations (excluding collocations, zero checks, and other quality assurance measurements). Using data from these runs as well as special tests, we present results of performance evaluations that examined the response time, PM losses, and wind measurements and compare results to stationary regulatory monitoring data. We highlight key issues and provide practical solutions to help evaluate and resolve these issues and share many lessons learned in developing and using a mobile platform.
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Acknowledgments
Support for this research was obtained from the State of Michigan under a contract entitled “Air Monitoring for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.” Additional support was provided by grant P30ES017885 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. We appreciate the assistance of our laboratory and field staff, including Chris Godwin, Megan Bader, Han Tran, and Daniel Pert. We also acknowledge the support of Lauren Fink and the Detroit Health Department, Susan Kilmer, Navnit Ghuman, and Eric Hansen at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Jennifer Gray at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Simone Sagovac at the Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition, and Tim Wallington at the Ford Motor Company.
Funding
Support for this research was obtained from the State of Michigan under a contract entitled “Air Monitoring for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.” Additional support was provided by grant P30ES017885 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, and the Ford Motor Company.
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Xia, T., Catalan, J., Hu, C. et al. Development of a mobile platform for monitoring gaseous, particulate, and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants. Environ Monit Assess 193, 7 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08769-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08769-2