Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

Aquatic Acidification Index pilot study to measure airborne sulfur and nitrogen oxide concentrations: Castnet Filter Pack Weekly Concentrations

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Metadata Provider

  • Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

    • Address:
      705 Spear Street
      South Burlington, Vermont 05403
      United States of America

      Phone: (802) 391-4135
      Email: femc@uvm.edu
      Website: www.uvm.edu/femc

Abstract

    Acidification of waterbodies is linked to deposition of sulfur and nitrogen oxides. This project will assess the relationship between a proposed index of aquatic acidification due to airborne pollutants and the concentrations in air of ammonia, ammonium, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. Data comes from participation in both the Ammonia Monitoring Network (AMoN) and EPA's CASTNet. AMoN is a NADP network measuring NH3 concentrations across the United States with the goal of providing long term trends in ambient NH3 concentrations and depositions. The VMC air quality site began participating in this network in November 2012 as a component of the AAI. CASTNET is a national air quality monitoring network designed to provide data to assess trends in air quality, atmospheric deposition, and ecological effects due to changes in air pollutant emissions.CASTNET measurements are used to assess long-term, regional trends in sulfur and nitrogen pollutants.

People

  • Miriam Pendleton: Principal Investigator

  • Rich Scheffe: Principal Investigator

Keywords

  • acid rain, air quality, ammonia, aquatic acidification index, nitrogen compounds, sulfur,

Organizations

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) : lead
  • Vermont Monitoring Cooperative : partner

Geographic Coverage

  • Coordinates

Data Table

  • Title: Castnet Filter Pack Weekly Concentrations
  • Start Date: 2012-11-13
  • Description: Weekly concentrations of NOx, SOX, Ca, Na, Mg, K and Cl for use in Aquatic Acidification model

  • Purpose: This project will assess the relationship between a proposed index of aquatic acidification due to airborne pollutants and the concentrations in air of ammonium, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides.

  • Condensed Title: Z0312_Weekly_Concentrations

  • Object Name: VMC.312.411

  • Data Type: mySQL
  • Citation: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Markets Division Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) [Data table(s) accessed (i.e., Hourly Ozone, Annual Total Deposition)] Available at www.epa.gov/castnet Date accessed: [month day, year]

  • Online Distribution: https://www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/aquatic-acidification-index-pilot-study-to/dataset/weekly-concentrations

Attribute List

    Attribute Name: SITE_ID
    • Label: Site ID
    • Description: Site identification code
    • Storage Type: text
    • Measurment Type: nominal
    Attribute Name: YEAR
    • Label: Year
    • Description: Calendar year of measurement using standard Tuesday to Tuesday weeks
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: YYYY
    Attribute Name: WEEK
    • Label: Week
    • Description: Week of year as defined by the first Tuesday to Tuesday week of the year
    • Storage Type: int
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customWeek
    • Precision: 1
    • Unit: Week
    • Number Type: integer
      • Bounds:
      • Minimum: 1
      • Maximum: 53
    Attribute Name: DATEON
    • Label: Date On
    • Description: Date and time standard Tuesday to Tuesday period began Local Standard Time
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss
    Attribute Name: DATEOFF
    • Label: Date Off
    • Description: Date and time standard Tuesday to Tuesday period ended Local Standard Time
    • Storage Type: datetime
    • Measurment Type: datetime
    • String Format: YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss
    Attribute Name: SO2_CONC
    • Label: SO2 Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient sulfur dioxide (SO2) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: SO4_CONC
    • Label: SO4 Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate sulfate (SO4) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: NO3_CONC
    • Label: NO3 Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate nitrate (NO3) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: HNO3_CONC
    • Label: HNO3 Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient nitric acid (HNO3) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: TNO3_CONC
    • Label: TNO3 Concentration
    • Description: Total ambient nitrate (NO3+HNO3) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: NH4_CONC
    • Label: NH4 Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate ammonium (NH4) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: CA_CONC
    • Label: Ca Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate calcium (Ca) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: NA_CONC
    • Label: Na Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate sodium (Na) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: MG_CONC
    • Label: Mg Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate magnesium (Mg) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: K_CONC
    • Label: K Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate potassium (K) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real
    Attribute Name: CL_CONC
    • Label: Cl Concentration
    • Description: Mean ambient particulate chloride (Cl) concentration
    • Storage Type: decimal
    • Measurment Type: ratio
    • Standard Unit: customMicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Precision: 0.001
    • Unit: MicrogramsPerCubicMeter
    • Number Type: real

Methods

  • Current Methods
    • Ammonia and ammonium collection
      • Started: 2012-11-20
      • Method Description: Passive diffusion-type samplers are deployed for two week periods year-round. Each sampler accumulates ammonia and ammonium for the period then is collected and shipped to a central laboratory for analysis using sonification and flow injection analysis.

    • Atmospheric pollutants and meteorological dat
      • Started: 2012-11-20
      • Method Description: Each CASTNET site measures atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen pollutants and cations. Concentrations of ambient sulfur and nitrogen species are collected and measured weekly (Tuesday to Tuesday, 168 hours) via a three-stage filter pack, and the data are averaged over the 1-week period.


Sampling Equipment

  • Current Equipment
    • Filter pack
      • Started: 2012-12-20
      • Sampling Description: A CASTNET filter pack and vacuum pump pulls 3 liters per minute ambient air through different filters

Site Characteristics

  • Site Description: Mount Mansfield site located at 400 m elevation on the west slope in the field station at Proctor Maple Research Center. Consistent with National Atmospheric Deposition Program/AMoN Siting Criteria



  • Site Description: As of October 2011, eighty two CASTNET sites were operational at eighty distinct locations. Most CASTNET sites are located in rural or remote locations away from pollutant emission sources and heavily populated areas



  • Site Description: The network design of CASTNET involves the measurement of rural, regionally representative concentrations of sulfur and nitrogen species to estimate dry deposition fluxes and to assess trends over time and space. Eastern U.S. sites are selected based on the following factors: (1) regional representation (2) distance from major pollutant sources (3) long-term availability, (4) accessibility, and (5) contribution to overall geographic coverage.



  • Site Description: For the western CASTNET sites, the limited number of sites and higher diversity of the region make it difficult to follow spatial patterns. Therefore, site selection in the west focuses primarily on locations where specific research issues can be addressed, and where natural resources are at risk.