Logo image
Statistical assessment of geographic areas of compliance with air quality standards
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Statistical assessment of geographic areas of compliance with air quality standards

Montserrat Fuentes
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, Vol.108(D24), pp.9002-n/a
12/27/2003
DOI: 10.1029/2003JD003672

View Online

Abstract

A statistical method is developed to classify geographical regions according to the air quality standards for criteria pollutants. A geographic location is designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an area of nonattainment when it does not meet the air quality standard for one of the criteria pollutants. A statistical model for air pollution is presented. This model is used to interpolate ground measurements of pollution levels at locations where there are no air quality monitors with the objective of determining the geographic areas of nonattainment. The approach presented here for interpolation takes into account that spatial patterns of air pollutants change with location. Estimates of probabilities of nonattainment are also provided, and they are used to classify the nonattainment areas by degree of severity. The approach is applied using available data from 513 sites throughout the eastern USA where ground‐level ozone is measured hourly.
Matérn covariance spatial statistics Bayesian inference Clean Air Act nonstationarity kriging

Details

Metrics

Logo image