Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published 1982 | public
Book Section - Chapter

Emissions and Air Quality Relationships for Atmospheric Carbon Particles in Los Angeles

Abstract

An emission inventory for fine particle aerosol carbon has been constructed for the Metropolitan Los Angeles area and compared to the results of ambient sampling. Information on the level of source activity, total aerosol emission rate, particle size and chemical composition was used to estimate the mass emission rate of particulate organic and elemental carbon in this urban area. It was found that carbonaceous particle emissions to the atmosphere arise from more than fifty classes of mobile and stationary air pollution sources. Emission data for elemental carbon at present contain significant uncertainties. Methods for verifying the consistency of carbonaceous aerosol emission inventories thus are important. Verification tests based on comparison of the ratio of organic carbon to elemental carbon and lead in source emissions versus that measured in the atmosphere were developed in this paper. Using these tests, excellent agreement was found between the emission inventory and results of ambient sampling in Los Angeles during January and February 1980.

Additional Information

© 1982 Plenum Publishing. This work has been supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant No. EY-76-G-03-1305, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Grant No. R806005, and by the Mellon Foundation. Thanks are due to the staff of the South Coast Air Quality Management District for their cooperation throughout the course of this project.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023