1 EPA Research on Air Quality Impacts from Transportation Sources Rich Baldauf, PhD, P.E. U.S. EPA, Office of Research & Development Meeting with the China Ministry of Science & Technology June 27, 2012

2 Presentation Overview Background Transportation Research Areas  Motor vehicle emissions characterization  Near-road air quality and health effects EPA Research Capabilities Example Results Other Transportation-related Research

3 Background Transportation systems significantly impact human health and the environment  On-road motor vehicles (passenger cars, trucks, buses)  Non-road sources (locomotives, ships/ports, airplanes, etc.) Supporting sustainable systems requires mitigating these impacts through targeted pollution controls and comprehensive planning practices EPA ORD conducts research on a number of topics, including: 1. Characterization of motor vehicle emissions during real-world operations and alternative fuel use 2. Assessment and mitigation of near-road air quality impacts from traffic emissions

4 EPA Research Capabilities: Emissions Chassis Dynamometers  Light-duty car and truck laboratory dynamometer Temperature controlled (-30 ºC to 45 ºC) Passenger cars, trucks, SUVs  Heavy-duty truck laboratory dynamometer  Portable light-duty dynamometer Used all over the world On-board emissions measurements  CO, NO x, HC, PM  Real-world driving Analytical laboratories  Particulate matter speciation  Gaseous VOC speciation

5 Example Projects Characterize emissions from transportation sources operating on alternative and renewable fuels  Ethanol-blend gasolines  Biodiesel Characterize and compare emissions from new technology and in-use motor vehicles  Gasoline passenger cars  Heavy-duty diesel trucks Determine the effectiveness of emission control devices  PM reductions (Particle traps)  NO x controls (DOCs, SCR) Determine the effect of cold ambient temperatures on vehicle emissions Evaluate how driving activity affects vehicle emissions Compare regional and national fleet characteristics and emissions

6 Impacts of Research  Updated and improved the U.S. motor vehicle emissions model (MOVES) to understand the extent and range of transportation impacts on air quality and climate  Improved emission inventories for National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and other regulatory programs  Identified the relationships among vehicle technologies, fuels, operations, and environmental conditions with air pollution emissions for regulatory and planning applications  Determined the need and potential effectiveness of air pollution control strategies for the U.S. and Europe  Provided data for predicting how changes in motor vehicle emissions will effect air quality, climate and health

7 Background: Near-Road Air Quality & Health Living, working, and going to school near major roadways has been associated with numerous adverse health effects  Respiratory effects (e.g., asthma, bronchitis)  Adverse birth outcomes/developmental effects  Premature mortality  Cardiovascular effects  Cancer Estimate over 45 million people in the US live within 100m of a major transportation system (highways, airports, rails) Air quality measurements show elevated pollutant concentrations near roads How can we reconcile these public health concerns with the growing population in our urban areas exposed to traffic emissions?

8 EPA Research Capabilities: Near-Road Air Quality Field measurements of traffic, meteorology and near-road air quality  Fixed site sampling  Mobile monitoring Wind tunnel assessments  General road configurations  Simulations of field sites Modeling assessments  Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models  EPA emissions (MOVES) and dispersion (AERMOD) models

9 Example Projects Characterize air quality concentrations near major transportation facilities including highways, rail yards, and airports  Multiple pollutants (e.g. CO, NO/NO2, PM, air toxics)  Meteorology (e.g. wind speed, direction, temperature, humidity, turbulence)  Vehicle activity (e.g. traffic volumes, types of vehicles, speed) Evaluate associations among near-road air quality and adverse human health effects  Epidemiology  Human observations  Animal toxicity Determine the effectiveness of air pollution mitigation strategies  Vehicle emission standards  Reducing vehicle use  Roadside features (noise barriers, vegetation) Compare regional and national trends in near-road air quality

10 Impacts of Research  Evaluated and updated guidance for the use of U.S. motor vehicle emissions (MOVES) and dispersion (AERMOD) models to assess and predict near-road air quality and risks to human health  Provided data on the need for and ways to implement a national near-road air quality monitoring network in the U.S. for CO, NO 2, and PM  Provided data to identify and determine the effectiveness of potential near-road air pollution mitigation strategies  Provided guidance for urban and transportation planners to implement sustainable urban development practices, notably compact/infill designs

11 Other Transportation Research Emissions and impacts from airport, rail and shipping port activities Emissions and exposures from other non-road mobile sources (lawn and garden equipment, agricultural machinery, construction equipment) Toxicity of motor vehicle exhaust Evaluation and improvement of air quality dispersion models Interactions of land use and transportation planning on air quality, health and climate

12 Summary Growing interest in collecting vehicle emissions and near- road air quality data due to public health and environment concerns Recent research provides insights on:  Motor vehicle emissions relative to vehicle technologies, alternative fuels, and impacts of environmental conditions  Elevated near-road pollutant concentrations and potential mitigation opportunities to reduce exposures and adverse health effects These results can inform decisions on the design and implementation of sustainable transportation systems; however, these issues are often complex and trade-offs/ unintended consequences need to be considered

APPENDIX Example Project Results: Vehicle Emission Characterization 13

14 Effects of Ambient Temperature on Emissions Nam, Kishan, Baldauf et al. (2010) Portable dynamometer used to test Vehicles in both summer and winter Lower ambient temperatures increase vehicle emissions

15 Effects of Ambient Temperature on Emissions Temperature effects have been seen in field and laboratory studies with varying vehicle technologies and fuels EPA’s MOVES emissions model accounts for ambient temperature effects

16 Effects of Vehicle Model Year on Emissions Older, higher mileage vehicles can exhibit higher emission rates, with a range of as much as three orders of magnitude Fulper, Kishan, Baldauf et al. (2010)

17 Effects of Ethanol-Blend Gasoline PM mass emissions Acetaldehyde emissions Ethanol blend gasoline can reduce PM impacts and imported oil needs. Ethanol blends can also increase aldehyde concentrations, with potential health and air quality impacts Long, Baldauf, Snow (2009)

18 Effects of Driving Conditions on Emissions EPA driving cycles do not capture all emissions conditions, which can dramatically increase during aggressive driving

APPENDIX Example Project Results: Near-Road Air Quality 19

20 Roadside Concentration Gradients Hagler, Baldauf, Thoma et al. (2009) Elevated concentrations of motor vehicle emitted pollutants found near large roads Studies conducted in mostly flat, open areas at-grade with the road measuring distance from the edge of the nearest travel lane

21 Concentrations highest during morning rush hours with winds from the road NO COAmmonia Benzene Naphthalene (aldauf, Thoma, Hays et al.. (2008) Roadside Pollutant Mixtures

22 Roadside Noise & Vegetation Barrier Effects Baldauf, Thoma, Hays et al., (2008)

Roadside Wind Tunnel Simulations Roadway design effects pollutant transport and dispersion from the road, used for model evaluation and development 23 Wind Tunnel Simulation - Six Lane Roadway Noise Barriers Flow Heist et al. (2009); Baldauf et al. (2009)

Roadside CFD Modeling CFD models used to evaluate and develop EPA dispersion models and quantify mitigation potential of barriers 24 No barrier 6 m 18 m Hagler et al. (2011)

25 References Baldauf, R.W., E. Thoma, M. Hays, R. Shores, J. Kinsey, B. Gullett, S. Kimbrough, V. Isakov, T. Long, R. Snow, A. Khlystov, J. Weinstein, F. Chen, R. Seila, D. Olson, M.I. Gilmour, S.H. Cho, N. Watkins, P. Rowley, J. Bang Traffic and Meteorological Impacts on Near Road Air Quality: Summary of Methods and Trends from the Raleigh Near Road Study, J. Air & Waste Manage Assoc. 58:865–878 Baldauf, R.W., A. Khlystov, V. Isakov, E. Thoma, G.E. Bowker, T. Long, R. Snow. 2008, Impacts of Noise Barriers on Near-Road Air Quality, Atmospheric Environment. 42: 7502–7507. Baldauf, R.W., N. Watkins, D. Heist, C. Bailey, P. Rowley, R. Shores Near-Road Air Quality Monitoring: Factors Affecting Network Design and Interpretation of Data, J. of Air Quality, Atmosphere, & Health. Vol. 2: 1-9. Fulper, C.R., S. Kishan, R.W. Baldauf*, M. Sabisch, E.R. Fujita, C. Scarbro, W.C. Crews, R. Snow, R. Santos, G. Tierney, J. Warila, B.C. Cantrell Methods of Characterizing the Distribution of Exhaust Emissions from Light-Duty, Gasoline-Powered Motor Vehicles in the U.S. Fleet, J. Air & Waste Manage Assoc 60: Hagler, G.S.W., R.W. Baldauf, E.D. Thoma, T.R. Long, R.F. Snow, J.S. Kinsey, L. Oudejans, B.K. Gullett. 2009, Ultrafine particles near a major roadway in Raleigh, North Carolina: Downwind attenuation and correlation with traffic-related pollutants, Atmospheric Environment. 43: 1229–1234. Heist, D.K., S.G. Perry, L.A. Brixey A wind tunnel study of the effect of roadway configurations on the dispersion of traffic-related pollution. Atmos Environ, 43(32), pp. 5101–5111 Long, T.R, R.W. Baldauf, R.F. Snow Tier 2 Vehicle Emissions Operating on Ethanol-Blend Gasoline. CRC Real World Conference, San Diego, CA Nam, E., S. Kishan, R.W Baldauf*, C.R. Fulper, M. Sabisch, J. Warila Temperature Effects on Particulate Matter Emissions from Light-Duty, Gasoline-Powered Motor Vehicles, Environmental Science & Technology 44: 4672–4677.