Air Quality Monitoring in Philadelphia

Thomas Farley, MD MPH

Commissioner

Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Air Pollution

• EPA “Criteria” Pollutants– Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10)– Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3), Carbon

monoxide (CO), Sulfur dioxide (SO2)– Lead

• Harmful to human health– Heart and lung disease, reduced life

expectancy

• Mainly produced by combustion– Stationary sources

• PES and other industrial sources• Building furnaces and boilers

– Mobile sources• Cars, trucks, buses• Ships, airplanes, construction equipment

• “Air Toxics”– Chemicals that may have long-term risks

for cancer or other biologic/environmental• E.g. benzene, formaldehyde

– Produced by chemical release (e.g. gasoline stations, dry cleaners)

• Greenhouse gases• Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous

oxide (N2O)• Flourinated gases like hydroflourocarbons

– Produced by burning, production, transport of fossil fuels

– Contribute to global warming, climate change, severe weather events, sea level rise

Air Quality Has Improved Since Regulation

1962 2010s

City-Wide Air Monitoring Network

Trends in Annual PM2.5 (Fine Particles)

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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

CO

NC

ENTR

ATI

ON

(u

g/m

3)

YEAR

MIN AVG MAX ANNUAL NAAQS (12 ug/m3)

Trends in Annual Ozone

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, 6-29-2019 (https://www.inquirer.com/business/philadelphia-refinery-fire-plan-to-close-20190626.html)

Sources of Air Pollution at PES

• Distillation Unit

• Alkylation Unit

• Pumps, air compressor, fans

• Steam generating boilers

• Process heaters

• Flares

• Cracking units

• Sulfur recovery unit

• Catalytic reforming unit

• Hydrogen production unit

• Storage tanks

• Wastewater treatment

• CO Boilers

Monitoring of Emissions from PES

• Stack tests when source is installed or modified and generally repeated every 5 years.

• Continuous Emission Monitors (CEMs) that measure certain pollutants on continuous basis

– Quarterly reports submitted to AMS -> DEP, EPA

• Inspections by AMS and EPA

• Fence line air monitors:

– Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, S02, lead, CO, NOx, H2S

– Benzene

Estimated emissions from PES vs. other sources in Philadelphia

Mobile sources

86%

Other stationary

sources5%

PES9%

Fine Particles (PM2.5)

Mobile sources

72%

Other stationary

sources8%

PES20%

Greenhouse Gases*

*Including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide

Stationary sources estimated by measurement and reports; mobile sources estimated by EPA MOVES14a model

City-Wide Air Monitoring Network

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PM

2.5

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

ug/

m3

)

Daily Average of PM2.5 at RIT Station(1/1/2014 - 6/24/2019)

PM2.5 at RIT Station

Fire/Explosion

Fine Particle Pollution at PES and Nearby StationsOn Morning of Fire/Explosion

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0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00

Ug

/m3

Time, June 21, 2019

RIT station

PES Fenceline

Camden

Philadelphia Air Quality Survey Sampling Units

Annual Average PM2.5 in Monitoring SitesPreliminary Results from PAQS

24th + Ritner7.9

Southwest8.3

City Hall10.4

Roxborough6.5

City Average8.1 ug/m3

Refinery

Summary

• Air pollution levels in Philadelphia far lower than previously, but further improvements would help human health

• PES is a significant source of air pollution and greenhouses gases in Philadelphia

– Mobile sources (vehicles and equipment) are cumulatively far greater contributors

• Levels of PM2.5 in neighborhoods near PES similar to city-wide average

• No evidence that fire/explosion on June 21 increased levels of air pollutants in neighborhoods nearby