Association of Air Pollution with Near-Road Land Use in Philadelphia, PA

Keywords: Urban Air pollution, Land Use, Mobile Monitoring
Session Type: Virtual Lightning Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 42

Abstract

Air quality is a global area of concern, as persistent and rising levels of pollution place exposed populations at higher risk for adverse respiratory symptoms and other illness. Specifically in urban areas, pollutant levels can be influenced by various land uses. The zoning classifications in a given area are primary tools of land use planning; therefore, it is necessary that planners understand the environmental and public health implications of their zoning decisions. Determining linkages between land use and pollutant concentrations could provide necessary understanding of pollutant distribution and their prevalence in respective zoning categories. The primary goal of this research was to assess levels of several air pollutants along a major urban corridor- Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA and analyze the relationship between zoning designations and air pollution concentrations. Mobile Monitoring was used to measure the concentrations of particulate matter, ozone, black carbon, and nitrogen oxides. Air pollution instruments were strapped to a vehicle roof and used to measure air quality on an approximately 35-mile stretch of Broad Street from Route 276 to the Navy Yard in South Philadelphia. Monitoring occurred during the morning (8am-11am) or the afternoon (12pm-3pm) on several days from June 8 to June 30, 2021. Auto-Oriented Commercial (CA) zones showed the highest concentrations of particulate matter, on average. Similarly, Industrial (I) zones showed higher concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, specifically high PM10 concentrations relative to other zoning classifications.