ASSESSMENT OF HIGHWAY PARTICULATE IMPACTS: PHASE I, TASKS B AND C -- FIELD SAMPLING AND EVALUATION PROGRAM

This report is the second of two reports developed as part of Phase I of the contract. The first report is Report No. FHWA-RD-99-180, Assessment of Highway Particulate Impacts: Phase I, Task A -- Problem Evaluation, Final Report. Four highway particulate emission sources were identified as requiring additional understanding: (1) emissions from diesel-powered vehicles; (2) emissions from road sanding and salting operations; (3) resuspension of dust from paved roadways; and (4) emissions from unpaved roadways. This document outlines the sampling and analysis plan for increasing the knowledge and understanding related to particulate emissions from three of these sources. Emissions from unpaved roadways were not targeted for sampling and analysis. This document describes the criteria used to select the field sampling sites, as well as the types of analyses that were performed at those sites. In addition, this document describes the results from the field work component of this study. Chemical mass balance analyses of highway particulate sources were conducted for paved road resuspension at Phoenix, Arizona and Spokane, Washington. Chemical mass balance analyses were also conducted at two sites to determine the contributions of road sanding and salting operations to ambient levels at Albany, New York and Reno, Nevada. Finally a set of experiments designed to assess diesel emissions was performed in the Ft. McHenry Tunnel (outside of Baltimore, Maryland) and in mid-town Manhattan. The Ft. McHenry Tunnel experiment produced emission factor estimates for heavy-duty diesel emission sources. Chemical mass balance analyses were performed in mid-town Manhattan to assess the contribution to ambient levels resulting from urban bus traffic. Results from the field work phase showed that paved road resuspension and road sanding and salting operations contribute significantly to the ambient levels, in the absence of other sources, contributing, in some cases, up to 60% of the total mass collected on the filters. In mid-town Manhattan, diesel emissions also contribute significantly to ambient levels; however, the emission factor results from the Ft. McHenry Tunnel indicated that emissions from heavy-duty diesels were lower than published emission factors by approximately 50%. It is important to note that despite these significant contributions to ambient levels, not once was the 24-h ambient air quality standard exceeded.

• Record URL:
  https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/22000/22300/22303/PB99175713.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  E.H. Pechan and Associates, Incorporated

  3500 Westgate Drive, Suite 103
  Durham, NC  United States  27707

  Federal Highway Administration

  Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 Georgetown Pike
  McLean, VA  United States  22101
• Authors:
  • Barnard, W
  • Gertler, A
  • Wittorff, W
• Publication Date: 1999-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 111 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality; Chemical analysis; Diesel buses; Diesel engine exhaust gases; Dust; Environmental impacts; Field studies; Highways; Particulates; Pavements; Sampling; Snow and ice control; Urban areas
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Pavements; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00795279
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-99-181,, 3K1, Final Report
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-91-C-00005
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 13 2000 12:00AM