Browsing by Author "Polissar, Alexander"
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Item Air Toxics Analysis in New Jersey: Ambient Data Review and Model Validation: Research Project Summary(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Science, 2013-05) Biton, Leiran; Miller, Paul; Polissar, Alexander; Aucott, MichaelThe Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) completed a project to better characterize air toxics levels in the atmosphere and evaluate air quality models for use in assessing policies to reduce levels of air toxics. The goal of the project was to provide a comprehensive assessment of air toxics in New Jersey based on three primary tasks: (1) statistical analyses of ambient air toxics data in New Jersey; (2) comparisons between existing ambient data, air quality modeling results, and emission inventories; and (3) evaluation of an updated model for use with air toxics. Ambient monitoring air toxics data in New Jersey and surrounding states were analyzed to determine the levels for air toxics in and around New Jersey.Item Delineation of a Potential Gaseous Elemental Mercury Emissions Source in Northeastern New Jersey: Research Project Summary(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Science, 2013-05) Reinfelder, John R.; Wallace, William; Aucott, Michael; Polissar, AlexanderIn order to assist in the identification of possible mercury (Hg) emission sources in northeastern New Jersey, this project was undertaken to delineate geographic areas in which these sources may be located. The objectives of this project were to measure gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentrations at a site on Staten Island, New York to the east of the putative emissions source and analyze these results with those obtained by the NJDEP at their air monitoring site (ELAB) in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Additional local measurements were to be obtained near possible emission sources. From September 30, 2011 to September 3, 2012, GEM data were collected for more than 200 days at the Staten Island site. Together with wind speed and direction data from the NOAA Bergen Point West Reach naval observatory station these measurements were analyzed and transport trajectories of GEM in the region were determined. GEM concentration and wind direction data from the ELAB site for the same period of time were also analyzed. Local measurements of GEM in the area were limited by access to appropriate sites and difficulties maintaining stable calibration of the portable Hg analyzer. Directional analysis of the number frequency and concentration-weighted distributions of GEM peaks with concentrations >4 ng m-3 at the ELAB site revealed a single source located to the south of the sampling site (bearing 173.4°). Similar analysis of GEM results for the Staten Island site revealed two possible sources, one to the west (bearing 280.5°) and a second to the southwest (bearing 213.8°). The intersections of the two Staten Island transport trajectories with the ELAM trajectory delineate two possible GEM source areas. The first is centered in Rossville, NY on Staten Island (40.5514 N, 74.1947 W) and the second near Pralls Island in the Arthur Kill along the eastern border of Linden, NJ (40.6119 N, 74.2039 W). Temporal analysis of GEM peaks for the three source directions indicates that the eastern Linden source may contribute more GEM to elevated measurements recorded in Elizabeth than the Rossville source.Item Detailed Air Quality Evaluation of Teterboro Airport, Teterboro, New Jersey: Research Project Summary(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science, Research and Technology, 2008-02) Polissar, Alexander; Kao, AlanThe general purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential air quality and health risks associated with operations of Teterboro Airport. Four monitoring stations were established near each end of the two runways,and equipment was set up to monitor volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbonyls, fine particulate matter(PM2.5), black carbon (BC), and other gaseous compounds (continuously measured by open path monitors), as well as wind speed and direction, traffic, and aircraft activity. The study showed that (1) concentrations of certain VOCs (e.g., formaldehyde, toluene) at Teterboro Airport were higher than at other New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) monitoring locations; (2) risks associated with the concentrations of VOCs at parts of Teterboro Airport were higher than risks at other NJDEP monitoring locations (based on conservative risk screening calculations intended to overestimate exposures and be health protective), but these risks were not necessarily associated with the airport operations; (3) similar to other locations in New Jersey, risks at Teterboro Airport exceed health benchmarks, and these exceedances are typical of urban areas in the U.S; (4) PM2.5 average concentrations at Teterboro Airport appears to be higher than at other New Jersey monitoring locations in 2006, although the method used to measure PM2.5 at Teterboro Airport typically yields higher concentrations than the Federal Reference Method; (5) high BC, PM2.5 concentrations and signals from open path monitors were observed to come from both roadways and the airport. It is concluded that the airport activities have measurable impacts on local air quality, although the data were insufficient to quantify these impacts.Item Sources of Atmospheric Fine Particles and Mercury in New Jersey(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2023-09) Polissar, AlexanderStatistical analyses showed that the annual mercury wet deposition levels in New Jersey did not decline substantially despite new regulations that significantly reduced mercury emissions in New Jersey. To explain this and to identify possible sources of air pollution in New Jersey, a receptor modeling study was conducted. The goal of the study was identification of the major sources of fine particles (PM2.5) and mercury (Hg) in New Jersey and investigation of changes in their contributions over time. An advanced factor analysis method, Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), was used as a receptor modeling tool for the combined mercury and chemical composition particulate data set from Brigantine, New Jersey. Different sources of air pollution, such as coal and oil combustion, metal production, wood combustion, soil, and sea salt emissions, have been identified. Midwestern coal combustion was identified as a major source for PM2.5 in New Jersey. Time series for the three sources – oil combustion source with high loadings of V and Ni, coal combustion source with high loadings of SO4=, and incineration/metal production source with high loadings of Pb and Zn showed a negative trend. Major sources of the different mercury fractions have been identified as well. Time series for some of these sources, related to mercury emissions, showed a negative trend, while others exhibited no trend. Further research is necessary to determine the reasons behind the lack of decline in wet deposition of mercury. The results of the receptor modeling show that the PMF represents a useful and important tool for identifying and quantifying the sources of air pollutants.