Urban Spatial Variation of Aerosols

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Urban Spatial Variation of Aerosols

• By
• Kendra Brathwaite
• Dr. Barbara Carlson
• Dr. Reginald Blake
• Karen Padavatton

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Introduction

• The purpose of this project is to form a
  connection between the increase of aerosols in
  the atmosphere with the increase or large amount
  of individuals that have asthma. We picked at
  least four different areas in Manhattan that is
  near the NASA GISS (Goddard Institute for Space
  Studies ) and we made measurements with the sun
  photometer to find the amount of aerosols in the
  atmosphere. We went to several areas, located by
  zip code, that had a high and low percentage of
  individuals that had asthma. We found out this
  information through a survey done previously by
  other researchers. An aerosol study of New York
  City has been done to look at the spatial
  distribution of aerosols in the city instead of
  in just one specific location. We have used a sun
  photometer to conduct such research. By using the
  sun photometer in different areas of the city, we
  will also try to discover if the areas with a
  greater amount of aerosols have a greater effect
  on causing individuals to start developing the
  many signs or conditions of asthma. Aerosols from
  the surface can cause serious health
  complications because of their impact on he
  quality of the air.

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Cycle of Atmospheric Aerosols
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What are Aerosols?

• Aerosols are small particles that suspended in
  the Earths atmosphere
• Aerosol particles can cause a natural haze in the
  troposphere.
• Aerosols can be washed out of the Earths
  atmosphere by rain or some type of precipitation
  (hail, snow, etc).
• Aerosols can cause acid rain by possibly lowering
  the pH level of the rain.
• Aerosols are known to scatter sunlight.
• They can block considerable sunlight which causes
  cooling effect on the Earths climate.

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Source of Aerosols

• Aerosols originate from volcanoes, forest and
  grassland fire, living vegetation, and dust
  storms.
• Aerosols also come from human activities such as
  the burning of fossil fuels and agriculture.

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Examples of Aerosols

• Dust
• Smoke
• Bacteria
• Salt
• Pollen
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Smog (Ozone)
• Particulate Matter (PM 2.5 PM 10)
• Asbestos (.PDF)
• Tiny droplets of water
• Black Carbon

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What is asthma?

• A serious health disease, caused mostly by
  allergens,that affects the respiratory system.
• It causes a sudden attack of difficulty
  breathing, the constriction of the chest,
  coughing and wheezing.

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Causes of Asthma

• Pollutants
• Wood dust
• Smoke
• Irritants
• Chemicals
• Viral infections
• Bacteria

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Results

• From the historical data found, we have found
  out that the Bronx is the area that is the most
  polluted borough in New York City with PM2.5.
  When looking at different many individuals in the
  Bronx that have asthma or asthmatic symptoms.
  Another two areas in New York City that are
  highly polluted are Upper-Manhattan and
  Mid-Manhattan. It can also be proven by survey
  that the individuals in the areas could have been
  affected by the airborne pollutant, PM2.5 ,which
  can cause people to have asthma.

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On day 1, the optical depth in the A.M. is lower
than the optical depth of the P.M. This means
that in the A.M., there were less aerosols
present in the atmosphere. Eventually as the day
progressed, the amount of aerosols increased
causing the sky to start getting a natural haze.
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On day 2, the optical depth in the A.M. is higher
than the optical depth of the P.M..This basically
means that in the A.M., there were more aerosols
present in the atmosphere. Eventually as the day
progressed, the skies became clearer and their
wasnt as many aerosols present in the
atmosphere.
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Conclusion

• It can be concluded that individuals are at a
  high risk of getting asthma in New York City due
  to the spatial distribution of aerosols.

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Future Work

• To extend this project is to take more
  measurements at different sites around the city
  and even outside the city so that we can update
  the information that is available now. By doing
  this we can learn more about aerosols and really
  discover whether or not cities or urban areas are
  really sinks or sources of aerosols and whether
  cities accelerate the onset or the increases in
  cases of asthma.

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Acknowledgements

• NASA GISS (Goddard Institute for Space
  Studies) Center
• Dr. Barbara Carlson
• Dr. Reginald Blake
• Ms. Laura Hatten mentor for SHARP students
• New York City College of Technology- CUNY
• Medgar Evers College- CUNY
• NASA SHARP (Summer High School
  Apprenticeship Research Program)
• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website
• NY DEC (New York State Department of
  Environmental Conservation)