Eladio M. Knipping, Ph.D.January 16, 2014

Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) MeetingRice University, Houston, TX

Air Quality Research from the Perspective of the Electric Power

Research Institute

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Scope of Discussion

• Provide a general view of key elements where the research community can inform or provide tools useful to various stakeholders

– Select EPRI Research on key topics in air quality management– An initial brainstorm of additional research that would be

advantageous to the general stakeholder community

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Clean Air Act: Regulatory Acronyms …

NAAQS NSPS SIPs

NSR PSDNBP

CAIR/CSAPRFuture TR

HAPS:MATS

NESHAPRHR ARP

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… Simplified: From Emissions to Ambient Levels

• In addition to emissions standards ….– NSPS and Utility NESHAP (MATS Rule)

• … sources must comply with air pollution programs…– CSAPR/CAIR, Acid Rain Program, NOx Budget Trading Program

• … and demonstrate compliance (via modeling) with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Regional Haze Rule

• Permitting, State Implementations Plans (including §110(a)(2)(D) interstate pollution abatement SIP provisions), Regional Haze Rule SIPs

• Science helps inform the air quality management process

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General Research Perspectives

• In general, stakeholders are concerned with two issues:– Contribution

• Emissions, concentrations, haze, deposition• Absolute and relative• Source: individual to sector-wide• By different region

– Response to emissions changes• Sensitivity to different controls (individual to sector-wide, by

region)• Verification of trends• Impacts of new sources

• Models, constrained by measurements, provide tools to explore these issues thereby informing the development and implementation of regulations

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Research Directions

• Research can be classified in two different ways:– Specific to the regulation

• Ozone NAAQS, Regional Haze Rule

– Specific to improving tools and processes used therein• Insights from model simulations and measurements• Developing science modules for atmospheric models

• The following slides provide a selection of examples of EPRI research as well as ideas on other research that may be useful for a broad stakeholder community

• Many activities are aligned with research being conducted by AQAST members

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Air Quality Model Evaluation

• EPRI Research:– Evaluate how the performance (at a particular site or for a

particular pollutant) of a “modeling system” relates to its ability to provide• consistent “relative response factors”• consistent “relative contributions”

– Use this information to determine acceptable levels of model performance prior to the use of a “modeling system” for various applications

• Additional Research:– Use of satellite, aircraft and ground-based observations to verify

the ability of models to replicate trends in key pollutants– Improve elements of the modeling system

• Emissions: NH3, NOx, POA to IVOC to VOC (from various sources)• Deposition rates: O3, OVOC, NHx, NOx, SOx, Hg

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Air Quality Model Development

• EPRI Research:– Organic PM Module based on the Volatility Basis Set (VBS)

approach for CMAQ and CAMx– Plume-In-Grid Module (Advanced Plume Treatment) for use in

CMAQ– CMAQ-RH: Sensitivity of organic PM to relative humidity in CMAQ

• Additional Research– Improved dry deposition modules– VOC reactivity– ClNO, HONO, N2O5, halogen chemistry– Lake/coastal effects– Bidirectional exchange of NH3, Hg– Aqueous-phase chemistry– Alkyl nitrate chemistry

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Ozone NAAQS (and Future Transport Rule)• EPRI Research

– Evaluating impacts of emissions changes on the W126 metric for ozone vegetation exposure

– Ozone production efficiency• VOC/NOx sensitivity• OPE from different sources, regions

• Additional Research– Background and natural ozone– Use of different tools for calculating ozone

contributions and sensitivity to emissions (OSAT, HDDM)

– Exceptional events (STE, fires)– Vegetation research; alternative metrics

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PM2.5 NAAQS

• EPRI Research– Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH)

Network• Host to the SOAS campaign• Performing a variety of analysis• Biogenic-anthropogenic interactions

– Deployment of ACSM in Atlanta and GreatSmoky National Park

– Laboratory experiments of SOA formation– Development of SOA modules

• Additional Research– Sensitivity of NH4NO3 formation to NH3 and NOx emissions– Heterogeneous aging of organic PM– Brown carbon, glyoxal, isoprene, … chemistry

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SO2 and NOx NAAQS

• EPRI Research– Nitrogen deposition modeling– Analysis of the Aquatic Acidification Index (AAI)– Development of inexpensive flux chambers– Improved air dispersion models and permitting

tools for use with 1-hour primary standards

• Additional Research– Improved NH3 emissions, NOx emissions– Effect of organic acids in soils and water on

lake and stream ecosystems– Calculation of weathering rates– Can we use satellites to help site compliance

monitors for 1-hour standards?

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Regional Haze

• EPRI Research:– Transboundary contribution to regional haze– Additional methods to help constrain

the OM/OC ratio spatially and temporally– Evaluation of the hygroscopicity of OM– New “IMPROVE Equation”– Visibility valuation

• Additional Research– Continued use of modeling and observations

to help inform issues listed above

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Some Final Thoughts

• The AQAST community is engaged in valuable research that touches many important air quality management issues

• Communication with the broad stakeholder community will allow for additional perspectives to be considered that may be valuable in the design and analysis of a variety of research topics