NARSTO EPA Supersite (SS) Pittsburgh Gas Concentration and Particulate matter (PM) Physical Properties Data

The last objective was based on concurrent modeling studies and was designed to support the development of regulations. These objectives were addressed through four components of the research: (1) ambient monitoring at a central site and a set of satellite sites in the region; (2) an instrument development and evaluation study; (3) a data analysis and synthesis component; and (4) a comprehensive modeling component. The central supersite was located on a grassy hill in a large urban park adjacent to the Carnegie Mellon University campus, approximately 6km east of downtown Pittsburgh.

It was separated from the city in the predominant upwind direction (south and west) by roughly 1km of parkland. It was at least several hundred meters from any other major source of air pollution: the site was positioned approximately 50m past the end of a dead end street, and several hundred meters from the nearest heavily traveled street. Five additional sites were operated as Satellite sites to character the spatial variation of the PM.

The measurement campaign lasted for 14 months (July 2001-September 2002). Intensive monitoring was performed during two periods, from 1 July to 3 August, 2001 (ESP01) and 1 January to 15 January, 2002 (ESP02). Baseline monitoring was conducted for the rest of the study.

Baseline measurements included daily filter samples for fine particle mass and composition (OC/EC, major ions, elemental composition). The U.S. EPA Particulate Matter (PM) super sites Program was an ambient air monitoring research program from 1999-2004 designed to provide information of value to the atmospheric sciences, and human health and exposure research communities. Eight geographically diverse projects were chosen to specifically address these EPA research priorities: (1) to characterize PM, its constituents, precursors, co-pollutants, atmospheric transport, and its source categories that affect the PM in any region; (2) to address the research questions and scientific uncertainties about PM source-receptor and exposure-health effects relationships; and (3) to compare and evaluate different methods of characterizing PM including testing new and emerging measurement methods.

NARSTO, which has since disbanded, was a public/private partnership, whose membership spanned across government, utilities, industry, and academe throughout Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The primary mission was to coordinate and enhance policy-relevant scientific research and assessment of tropospheric pollution behavior; activities provide input for science-based decision-making and determination of workable, efficient, and effective strategies for local and regional air-pollution management.

Data products from local, regional, and international monitoring and research programs are still available.