Eladio M. Knipping, Ph.D. January 16, 2014 Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST) Meeting Rice University, Houston, TX Air Quality Research from the Perspective of the Electric Power Research Institute

2 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Scope of Discussion Provide a general view of key elements where the research community can inform or provide tools useful to various stakeholders –Select EPRI Research on key topics in air quality management –An initial brainstorm of additional research that would be advantageous to the general stakeholder community

3 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Clean Air Act: Regulatory Acronyms … NAAQSNSPSSIPs NSRPSD NBP CAIR/CSAPR Future TR HAPS: MATS NESHAP RHRARP

4 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. … Simplified: From Emissions to Ambient Levels In addition to emissions standards …. –NSPS and Utility NESHAP (MATS Rule) … sources must comply with air pollution programs… –CSAPR/CAIR, Acid Rain Program, NOx Budget Trading Program … and demonstrate compliance (via modeling) with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and Regional Haze Rule Permitting, State Implementations Plans (including §110(a)(2)(D) interstate pollution abatement SIP provisions), Regional Haze Rule SIPs Science helps inform the air quality management process

5 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. General Research Perspectives In general, stakeholders are concerned with two issues: –Contribution Emissions, concentrations, haze, deposition Absolute and relative Source: individual to sector-wide By different region –Response to emissions changes Sensitivity to different controls (individual to sector-wide, by region) Verification of trends Impacts of new sources Models, constrained by measurements, provide tools to explore these issues thereby informing the development and implementation of regulations

6 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Research Directions Research can be classified in two different ways: –Specific to the regulation Ozone NAAQS, Regional Haze Rule –Specific to improving tools and processes used therein Insights from model simulations and measurements Developing science modules for atmospheric models The following slides provide a selection of examples of EPRI research as well as ideas on other research that may be useful for a broad stakeholder community Many activities are aligned with research being conducted by AQAST members

7 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Air Quality Model Evaluation EPRI Research: –Evaluate how the performance (at a particular site or for a particular pollutant) of a “modeling system” relates to its ability to provide consistent “relative response factors” consistent “relative contributions” –Use this information to determine acceptable levels of model performance prior to the use of a “modeling system” for various applications Additional Research: –Use of satellite, aircraft and ground-based observations to verify the ability of models to replicate trends in key pollutants –Improve elements of the modeling system Emissions: NH 3, NOx, POA to IVOC to VOC (from various sources) Deposition rates: O 3, OVOC, NHx, NOx, SOx, Hg

8 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Air Quality Model Development EPRI Research: –Organic PM Module based on the Volatility Basis Set (VBS) approach for CMAQ and CAMx –Plume-In-Grid Module (Advanced Plume Treatment) for use in CMAQ –CMAQ-RH: Sensitivity of organic PM to relative humidity in CMAQ Additional Research –Improved dry deposition modules –VOC reactivity –ClNO, HONO, N 2 O 5, halogen chemistry –Lake/coastal effects –Bidirectional exchange of NH 3, Hg –Aqueous-phase chemistry –Alkyl nitrate chemistry

9 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Ozone NAAQS (and Future Transport Rule) EPRI Research –Evaluating impacts of emissions changes on the W126 metric for ozone vegetation exposure –Ozone production efficiency VOC/NOx sensitivity OPE from different sources, regions Additional Research –Background and natural ozone –Use of different tools for calculating ozone contributions and sensitivity to emissions (OSAT, HDDM) –Exceptional events (STE, fires) –Vegetation research; alternative metrics

10 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. PM2.5 NAAQS EPRI Research –Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH) Network Host to the SOAS campaign Performing a variety of analysis Biogenic-anthropogenic interactions –Deployment of ACSM in Atlanta and Great Smoky National Park –Laboratory experiments of SOA formation –Development of SOA modules Additional Research –Sensitivity of NH 4 NO 3 formation to NH 3 and NOx emissions –Heterogeneous aging of organic PM –Brown carbon, glyoxal, isoprene, … chemistry

11 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. SO 2 and NOx NAAQS EPRI Research –Nitrogen deposition modeling –Analysis of the Aquatic Acidification Index (AAI) –Development of inexpensive flux chambers –Improved air dispersion models and permitting tools for use with 1-hour primary standards Additional Research –Improved NH 3 emissions, NOx emissions –Effect of organic acids in soils and water on lake and stream ecosystems –Calculation of weathering rates –Can we use satellites to help site compliance monitors for 1-hour standards?

12 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Regional Haze EPRI Research: –Transboundary contribution to regional haze –Additional methods to help constrain the OM/OC ratio spatially and temporally –Evaluation of the hygroscopicity of OM –New “IMPROVE Equation” –Visibility valuation Additional Research –Continued use of modeling and observations to help inform issues listed above

13 © 2012 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. Some Final Thoughts The AQAST community is engaged in valuable research that touches many important air quality management issues Communication with the broad stakeholder community will allow for additional perspectives to be considered that may be valuable in the design and analysis of a variety of research topics