Gains against air pollution have stagnated, while the mix of pollutants is changing, posing a challenge to regulators.
Boulder’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is leading a three-nation summer blitz of air pollution sensors ranging from high-altitude aircraft to rooftops to backpacks, in a massive escalation of the battle against ozone and particulate toxins, scientists announced Thursday. Alarmed by a slowing of the gains made against air pollution across the United States, NOAA, NASA, and researchers from 21 universities are gathering data from ground level to miles high to help federal and state agencies understand the current interplay of pollution, climate, weather, and wildfires.
- Concentrated over cities such as New York, Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles, the flight portions have included a NOAA flyover of an airport near Colorado Springs, with instruments running.
NOAA research chemist Andrew Rollins stated that “If you have a lot of people working at the same time, you get more than the sum of these different parts. People are working on the same thing and learning more if they do it together,” highlighting the importance of collaboration in addressing air pollution issues.
From Gulfstream jets to DC-8s to backpacks crossing Central Park, air pollution scientists will pour oceans of data back for analysis.
The largest NOAA project includes 30 instruments on a NASA DC-8 to measure chemicals over dense cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto. NASA is also sending up instruments on two Gulfstream smaller jets for higher altitude measurements. NOAA instruments on a Twin Otter craft will focus on weather and atmospheric dynamics at play carrying pollutants around metro New York and southern New England. Another project combines a University of Maryland Cessna with NOAA instruments on an SUV driving the corridor from Washington, D.C., through Baltimore, New York, and Long Island. Yale University and other partners will measure from the rooftops of The City College of New York campus. The scientists with backpack instruments in Manhattan will look for surface ozone and 2.5 particulate matter in underserved neighborhoods with heavier health impacts from heat and pollution.
How soon could the air blitz results show up in scientific papers and public policy debates?
This week was also the deadline for scientists to submit paper topics to the American Geophysical Union’s gathering in December, Rollins said. Some of the research from the summer flights and other integrated data will begin to come out at that December meeting, then for months and years afterward. Federal agencies are developing another advanced satellite that will launch in about five years, and some of this summer’s research will be used to help design what is needed from that next generation effort. Rollins also mentioned that understanding the impact of wildfire smoke in urban areas will be a significant challenge in the coming years.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
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SDGs addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article:
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
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Specific targets under those SDGs based on the article’s content:
- SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
- SDG 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.
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Indicators mentioned or implied in the article:
- Air pollution levels (ozone and particulate toxins)
- Contribution of fossil fuel burning vehicles to air pollution
- Contribution of volatile chemicals from consumer products to air pollution
- Monitoring of pollutants at multiple levels of the atmosphere and across North America
- Measurement of chemicals over dense cities and higher altitudes
- Surface ozone and particulate matter levels in underserved neighborhoods
- Impact of wildfire smoke in urban areas
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination. | – Air pollution levels (ozone and particulate toxins) – Contribution of volatile chemicals from consumer products to air pollution |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | SDG 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. | – Air pollution levels (ozone and particulate toxins) – Monitoring of pollutants at multiple levels of the atmosphere and across North America – Measurement of chemicals over dense cities and higher altitudes – Surface ozone and particulate matter levels in underserved neighborhoods |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | – Impact of wildfire smoke in urban areas |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services. | – Monitoring of pollutants at multiple levels of the atmosphere and across North America |
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Source: coloradosun.com
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