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Published 1981 | public
Journal Article

Sulfate air quality control strategy design

Cass, Glen R.

Abstract

An approach to the design of emission control strategies for sulfate air quality improvement is described. Methods developed are tested within a case study of the nature and causes of the high sulfate levels observed in the Los Angeles area. An air quality model for sulfate formation and transport is developed which computes long-term average sulfate concentrations using a Lagrangian marked particle technique. The air quality model is verified by application to the Los Angeles air basin during each month of the years 1972 to 1974. The time sequence of observed sulfate air quality is reproduced closely in spite of the fact that emission peaks are six months out of phase with observed peak sulfate concentrations. An important finding is that there is a seasonal trend in the rate of SO2 oxidation to form sulfates in the Los Angeles atmosphere with conversion rate averaging about 6% per hour in the late spring, summer and early autumn, and declining to between 3% and 0.5% per hour in winter months. The problem of identifying the least costly combination of emission controls needed to achieve a major sulfate concentration reduction is addressed using the air quality model results. Example calculations show that close to a 50% improvement in sulfate air quality could be achieved in downtown Los Angeles at a cost of circa $100 million annually. Since the effect on visibility of such a sulfate concentration reduction has been estimated previously, a partial remedy for the Los Angeles visibility problem is described.

Additional Information

© 1981 Pergamon Press Ltd. First received 5 May 1980, and in final form 31 October 1980 This work has been supported by the California Air Resources Board (Contract No. A6-061-87). Thanks are due to the staff of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (formerly the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District) and to the staff of the California Air Resources Board for their cooperation and assistance.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 26, 2023