Air Quality Exposure Assessment: Modeling the Impact of DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) on Surrounding Residential Neighborhoods. Open Access

Lee, Albert Sang-Kyu (2012)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/4f16c347c?locale=en
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Abstract


Background: In 2011, DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Director, Mike Wie, and a citizens'
group, Open DeKalb, Inc., met to discuss concerns about the impact of the airport on the
health and welfare of the surrounding community. This meeting resulted in the proposal
to assess the noise and air contaminant exposures experienced by residential
neighborhoods around PDK airport.
Purpose: This study will (1) model and analyze the impact of air contaminant exposure
experienced by residential neighborhoods around PDK Airport, (2) project the impact of
the airport and surrounding highways on the local community using already existing data
on temperature, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction and other meteorological
parameters, and (3) aid in the data collection, monitoring and evaluation of air pollutants
and the impact of these exposures on the surrounding community.
Methods: We use AERMOD, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulatory
guideline model, to model the average concentration of NO2 from various area sources:
PDK airport, I-85 and I-285. A series of analysis was conducted on a 15 km x 15 km
receptor network grid modeled with each area source using meteorological data from
2006- 2011. Seasonal averages of hypothetical NO2 emission rates based on emission
source input calculations were computed and the percent of NO2 concentration
attributable to PDK Airport.
Results: The model showed high concentrations of NO2 at several receptors located near
I-85 and I-285. The south and southwestern areas of the receptor network grid had the
highest PDK-attributable percent of NO2 concentrations. However, the concentrations at
the receptors with the highest PDK-attributable percent of NO2 concentrations were not
high enough for concern about potential health effects due to poor air quality.
Conclusion: Monitors should be set up in the areas where the model indicates the highest
concentrations of NO2. The evidence based on the data collected from monitors could
help support whether there is a need for health concerns due to poor air quality from
nearby area emission sources.

Table of Contents



Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1

Methods...................................................................................................................... 8
Results ........................................................................................................................19
Discussion ..................................................................................................................28
Conclusion .................................................................................................................33
Works Cited ...............................................................................................................34
Appendix ....................................................................................................................36

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