Ramifications of Charlotte Regional Growth and Weekday Activities on Primary and Secondary Emissions...

Ramifications of Charlotte Regional Growth and Weekday

Activities on Primary and Secondary Emissions

Jenny L. Perry and Patrick M. Owens

Department of Chemistry

Winthrop University

Objectives

• Show Charlotte regional growth by traffic volumes

• Characterize trends in NOy, CO, and Ozone monitoring data

• Understand how daily traffic fluctuations affect pollutant levels

Approach Taken• Characterize daily traffic patterns and growth

using available traffic data

• Examine daily and long-term trends in primary pollutants NOy and CO; relate traffic patterns to primary pollutants

• Assess emission patterns from power plants

• Evaluate changes in Ozone concentrations; compare the long-term ozone trend to traffic growth, precursor trends, & temperature

Traffic, Monitor, and Power Plant Sites

Traffic Sites

Roadway Tachograph Loc. Data Available

Interstate 77 SC Welcome CenterBetween Exits 88 & 90

June-August 1990-1997(Hourly data)

South Blvd (Hwy521)

Between Poindexter &Marsh @ Pepsi Plant

May-Sept 1990-1998, (7-8AM, 5-6PM, Daily)

Wilkinson Blvd (Hwy 29&74)

Remount RdIntersection

May-Sept 1990-1998,(7-8AM, 5-6PM, Daily)

Graham St. Past Railroad Tracks @ 12th St.

May-Sept 1990-1998,(7-8AM, 5-6PM, Daily)

I-77 Traffic Volume vs Time of Day(June-August 1990-1997)

0

2000

4000

6000

Time of Day (Hour)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Thursday Friday Saturday

Fluctuations of Average Traffic Volume(All Sites)

0.25

0.45

0.65

0.85

1.05

1.25

S M T W R F SA

Day of Week

7-8 AM

5-6 PM

Daily

Average Daily Traffic Volume vs Year

(South Blvd: May-Sept., I-77: June-August)

15000

25000

35000

45000

55000

65000

75000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Year

South Blvd

I-77

I-77 Average Traffic Volume vs Year (June-August)

1000

1750

2500

3250

4000

4750

5500

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Year

Hourly

7-8 AM

5-6 PM

South Blvd Average Traffic Volume vs Year(May-September)

750

1250

1750

2250

2750

3250

3750

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Year

Hourly

7-8 AM

5-6 PM

Plaza Ave rage Hourly CO Conce ntrations( M ay- September 1993- 1998)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

4 5 6 7 8 9 10Time of Day



Plaza Ave rage Hourly NOy Conce ntrations

(May- September 1995- 1998)

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

4 5 6 7 8 9 10Time of Day



Average 7-8 Am CO Concentrations vs Year(May-September 1993-1998)

375

425

475

525

575

625

675

725

775

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

County Line

Plaza

Average 7-8 AM NOy Concentrations vs Year(May-September 1995-1998)

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

County Line

Plaza

Regional NOx Sources

• 1997 Gaston County Power Plant Emissions– 12,930 tons (Allen)– 3,780 tons (Riverbend)

• 1996 Mecklenburg County Emissions– 17,295 tons (mobile sources)– 687 tons (stationary sources)

Allen Average NOx Emissions vs Time of Day

(May-September 1997-1998)

0.38

0.4

0.42

0.44

0.46

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

Time of Day



Allen Plant CO2 Emissions vs Time of Day(May-September 1997-1998)

90

140

190

240

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23

Time of DaySunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday


Fluctuations in Average 7-8 AM CO2 and NOx

(Allen and Riverbend Plants, May-Sept. 1997-1998)

0.75

0.8

0.85

0.9

0.95

1

1.05

S M T-F SA

Day of Week

CEM CO2

CEM NOx

Daily Fluctuations of 7-8 AM CO, NOy and Traffic(All Monitors)

0.32

0.42

0.52

0.62

0.72

0.82

0.92

1.02

1.12

1.22

S M T-F SA

Day of Week

Noy

CO

Traffic

Daily Fluctuations in Average 1-hr Max O3(May-Sept. 1990-1998)

0.95

0.97

0.99

1.01

1.03

1.05

S M T-F SA

Day of Week

County Line

Arrowwood

Plaza

Daily Fluctuations in O3 by Average Max 8hr (May-September 1990-1998)

0.96

0.98

1

1.02

1.04

S M T-F SA

Day of Week

County Line

Arrowwood

Plaza

Average Daily 1-Hour Max O3 Concentration (May-September 1990-1998)

0.05

0.0550.06

0.065

0.070.075

0.080.085

0.09

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

Year

County Line

Arrowwood

Plaza

Days over 90 vs Year

15253545556575

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

Year

Nu

mb

er o

f D

ays

ove

r 90

Average May-Sept. High Daily Temperatures

85.

6

85.

6

82.

1

87.

5

83.

5

83.

1

83.

6

83.

6

86.

8

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Monthly Maximum Temperatures

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

May Jun Jul Aug Sep

1990

1991

19921993

1994

1996

1997

1998

1995

July Max Avg Temp and 8 hr O3 Levels

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

85

90

95

100

Max 8Hr Ozone Max Daily Temp

August Max Avg Temp and 8 hr O3 Levels

0.04

0.05

0.06

0.07

0.08

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

82

87

92


Average Daily 8-hr Max O3 vs Year(May-September 1990-1998)

0.045

0.05

0.055

0.06

0.065

0.07

0.075

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

Year

County Line

Arrowwood

Plaza

O3 Standard Deviation of the Mean (8-hr Average)

0.00100

0.00110

0.00120

0.00130

0.00140

0.00150

0.00160

0.00170

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

County Line

Arrowwood

Plaza

Changes in May-Sept Average Daily Maximum 8 Hr Ozone Level

MonitoringSite

1994Average

1998Average

% Increase

County 0.055 0.071 29

Arrowwood 0.048 0.065 35

Plaza 0.052 0.067 29

O3 Standard Deviation of the Population (8-hr Average)

0.014

0.015

0.016

0.017

0.018

0.019

0.02

0.021

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Year

County Line

Arrowwood

Plaza

Holiday Fluctuations in 1hr Max O3, & 7-8 AM CO, NOy & Traffic

(Labor and Memorial Day, F-R Week, All Monitors, 17 Weeks of O3 Data)

0.15

0.35

0.55

0.75

0.95

1.15

1.35

1.55

S M T W R F SA

Day of Week

O3

CO

NOy

Traffic

Daily Fluctuations in 1-Hr M ax O3

(A ll M onitors, 17 Weeks of M emorial & Labor Day F-R )

0.8

0.9

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

S M T W R F SA

Day of Week

Conclusions• Weekend traffic reductions correlate with NOy and to a

lesser extent with CO

• Weekend traffic reduction appears to have little immediate effect on Ozone levels; there seems to be a small cumulative effect from current and previous days’ activities

• Power production emulates traffic pattern; NOx power plant emissions vary little within each week

Conclusions

• Average May-Sept daily 7-8 AM NOy and 7-8 AM CO levels in the region appear to be on the rise

• Average daily maximum Ozone readings at all three monitoring sites in Mecklenburg County have been rising since 1994

• Long-term trends in ozone are influenced by temperature

Acknowledgements• North Carolina Division of Air Quality

(Steve Few, Brian Timin)

• City of Charlotte Department of Transportation (Charles Able)

• South Carolina Department of Transportation (Joe Boozer)

Additional Supporting O3 and Temperature Graphs

• O3 and temperature graphs for the months of May, June and September follow. The months of July and August are depicted in the presentation.

May Max Avg Temp and 8 hr O3 Levels

0.05

0.06

0.07

199019911992199319941995199619971998

73

78

83

88


June Max Avg Temp and 8 hr O3 Levels

0.045

0.055

0.065

0.075

1990199119921993 19941995199619971998

76

81

86

91

96


September Max Avg Temp and 8 hr O 3 Levels

0.0350.0450.0550.0650.075

199019911992 199319941995 199619971998

76

81

86


Ramifications of Charlotte Regional Growth and Weekday Activities on Primary and Secondary Emissions...

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