Quantification of Particulate Matter from Commercial Building Excavation Activities Using Life-Cycle Approach

Ketchman, Kevin J.; Bilec, Melissa M.

doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000776

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The fact that the thermally driven easterly winds rarely make it up to the alpine (Losleben et al, 2000) may be an explanation for the lower levels of dust deposition at the alpine sites. Our back trajectory results are supported by many other studies of wind dynamics and pollutant transport in the Colorado Front Range that have found that easterly winds are more likely during the spring and summer, transporting polluted air masses up to higher elevations (Blanken et al, 2009;Brodin et al, 2010;Heuer et al, 2000;Losleben et al, 2000;Parrish et al, 1990;Sullivan et al, 2016).…”

Section: 1029/2019jf005436supporting

confidence: 86%

“…At the Continental Divide, 85% of precipitation falls as snow; this proportion decreases with elevation (Williams et al, 2011). Winter months are characterized by strong westerly winds (Blanken et al, 2009;Losleben et al, 2000;Marr, 1961); during the spring and summer, diurnal easterly winds are driven by thermal gradients between the mountains and plains (Blanken et al, 2009;Heuer et al, 2000;Losleben et al, 2000).…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this region, prevailing winds are westerly, potentially transporting mineral dust derived from the central Colorado mountains and the Colorado Plateau across the Continental Divide (Reynolds et al, 2016). However, during the spring and summer, the Front Range also experiences diurnal upslope events that transport urban air masses from the plains to higher elevations (Brodin et al, 2010;Heuer et al, 2000;Losleben et al, 2000;Parrish et al, 1990;Sullivan et al, 2016). Consequently, during the spring and summer seasons, agricultural and urban sources may contribute more to dust fluxes than during the winter and fall.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

et al. 2020

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As atmospheric dust deposition continues to increase across the southwestern United States, it has the potential to alter ecosystem productivity and structure by delivering nutrients, base cations, and pollutants to remote mountain sites. Due to the sparse distribution of dust monitoring sites, open questions remain about the spatial and temporal variability of dust fluxes and composition across mountainous terrain. We present a 1 year (November 2017 to November 2018) record of seasonal dust fluxes and composition from an elevation transect across the Colorado Front Range extending from the urban plains to the remote alpine. At all nine sites, dust was enriched in the essential nutrient phosphorus and the metals copper, zinc, lead, and cadmium, elements that are enriched in dust deposited at sites across the Rocky Mountain West. We observed a seasonal pattern in dust composition, with the highest concentrations of zinc and cadmium during the summer, when back trajectory modeling suggested a greater contribution of dust from local urban and agricultural regions to the east of the collection sites. During the summer, there was also a trend of higher dust fluxes at lower elevations; dust fluxes ranged from 18.9 ± 0.1 g m −2 yr −1 on the plains to 5.9 ± 0.2 g m −2 yr −1 in the alpine. Our results suggest that urban and agricultural land east of the Colorado Front Range is an important source of nutrients and pollutants to all elevations of the mountain range.Plain Language Summary Atmospheric dust deposition can be an important source of nutrients and pollutants to ecosystems and has been responsible for changes in ecosystem productivity and biodiversity. Currently, dust activity is increasing across the southwestern United States due to land use change and drought. Many questions remain about how the amount and chemical composition of dust varies throughout the year and across mountainous terrain. Over 1 year and at nine sites, we measured the amount and chemical composition of dust deposited to the Colorado Front Range. We found that during the summer, there was more dust deposited at lower elevations, which are close to urban and agricultural dust sources. In addition, the dust contained high levels of the nutrient phosphorus and many metals that are associated with anthropogenic emissions. Our results suggest that anthropogenic dust is transported up into the mountains, where it could influence ecosystem biodiversity and water quality. Given the growing evidence that the Southwest is becoming dustier, we call for more comprehensive dust monitoring and land management practices that work to limit dust emissions.

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Section: 1029/2019jf005436supporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

et al. 2020

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“…Some specific construction activities (e.g., combustion of fossil fuels) have been linked to PM 2.5 emissions (Ketchman and Bilec, 2013;Muleski et al, 2005). The 100-m buffer zone reflects the small spatial scale of impact from construction activities on PM 2.5 concentration.…”

Section: Model Performance Across Particle Fractionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

LUR models for particulate matters in the Taipei metropolis with high densities of roads and strong activities of industry, commerce and construction

Lee

Hoek

et al. 2015

Science of The Total Environment

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“…The dust control measures are important, as the project is located in the Mojave Desert where the dominant soil type is aridisols (United States Department of Agriculture, 2016a) and this region is a significant dust source in North America (Prospero et al, 2002). The particulate emissions from soil disturbance during the PV installation phase, as in other construction projects (Muleski et al, 2005;Ketchman and Bilec, 2013), can result in negative environmental impacts (Gilchrist and Allouche, 2005;Russell and Brunekreef, 2009). Studies have linked PM exposure to cardiovascular, respiratory, and reproductive health issues, and PM emissions at the work environment and urban locations pose significant worker and public health and safety risks (Brunekreef and Forsberg, 2005;Duvall et al, 2008;U.S.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of photovoltaic (PV) installations on downwind particulate matter concentrations: Results from field observations at a 550-MW_AC utility-scale PV plant

Ravikumar

Sinha

2017

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

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This study is the first to analyze impact of a utility photovoltaic (PV) project on downwind particulate matter (PM) concentration in desert conditions. The PM data were collected at four beta attenuation monitor stations over a 3-yr period. The post-construction PM concentrations are lower than background concentrations at three of four stations, therefore supporting the hypothesis of post-construction wind shielding from PV installations. With PM emission reductions observed within 10 months of completion of construction, postconstruction monitoring of downwind PM levels may be reduced to a 1-yr period for other PV projects with similar soil and weather conditions.

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Quantification of Particulate Matter from Commercial Building Excavation Activities Using Life-Cycle Approach

Cited by 13 publications

References 20 publications

Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

LUR models for particulate matters in the Taipei metropolis with high densities of roads and strong activities of industry, commerce and construction

The impact of photovoltaic (PV) installations on downwind particulate matter concentrations: Results from field observations at a 550-MW_AC utility-scale PV plant

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Quantification of Particulate Matter from Commercial Building Excavation Activities Using Life-Cycle Approach

Cited by 13 publications

References 20 publications

Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

Atmospheric Dust Deposition Varies by Season and Elevation in the Colorado Front Range, USA

LUR models for particulate matters in the Taipei metropolis with high densities of roads and strong activities of industry, commerce and construction

The impact of photovoltaic (PV) installations on downwind particulate matter concentrations: Results from field observations at a 550-MWAC utility-scale PV plant

Contact Info

Product

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The impact of photovoltaic (PV) installations on downwind particulate matter concentrations: Results from field observations at a 550-MW_AC utility-scale PV plant