Key findings from the NM DOH Air Quality Study Dr. Dave DuBois Project PI Presented at the Southwest Border Air Quality Symposium Las Cruces April 22, 2013

NM DOH Study A mix of number of smaller, inter-related studies (14 tasks) emphasizing –Capacity building in the region for air quality research –Adequacy of current surveillance network –Defining baseline air quality and air quality related health over region –Causes and sources of air quality degradation in the region –Descriptive recommendations for improving air quality

Our Study Area No sharply defined boundary but includes US/Mexico border region and significant sources of pollution and monitoring locations

Enhanced Monitoring Network Design of an optimal monitoring network –Fill-in holes in current network Core site Satellite sites Micro sites Vado, NM site, 1 of 3 “satellite” stations

Some key studies Cooperation between 5 academic institutions and several gov’t agencies across the US and Mexico Provided assessments of climate and air quality over the region Air quality and climate network evaluation Analysis of Las Cruces hospital data Airborne fungal taxonomy of region Developed dust source database Dust mitigation options for urban areas

Key Impacts to Health from Climate Change Heat waves Extreme weather events Increases in particulate matter Increases in ozone Changes in allergens Food-borne diseases Water-borne diseases Animal-borne diseases

Data: NCAR, CMIP3, CCSM Temperatures for Climate Division 8 Climate division 8

Annual Temperature Anomalies (JFM) Reference to average NOAA Divisional Data, Plotted by ESRL PSD

How unusual is this drought? Look at Drought Monitor in NM over past 12 yrs In summer of 2011 almost 50% of state was D4 % D3 Extreme Drought Think of D3 as return frequency of 20 to 50 years

Annual Precipitation over Climate Division

Photographer: Craig D. Allen, USGS

Wildfires Who is at highest risk? –Heart or lung disease, COPD, emphysema, or asthma –Older adults and children Protect yourself –Pay attention to air quality reports/advisories –Use visibility guides –Stay indoors if advised –Don’t add to indoor pollution –Follow doctor’s advice

Health, Safety, and Air Quality Major Impacts to –Human health –Travel safety –Worker down time 2012 wildfire size was about 1.5x the 10-year average (based on ) 2011 and 2012 had above average number of dust storms in southern NM and west TX March 18, 2012 dust storm was worst since 2003 –More than 10x EPA standards for 24-hour PM 10

Climate Division 8 Rain & Temperatures: Climate division 8

Climate and Particulate Levels Our highest PM10 occurs during our driest years …and during our warmest years 2011 Over last 21 years in climate division 8

PM 10 in Deming Over last 21 years How much is due to land cover and climate? Monitor sits on top of post office building in Deming, an urban setting Dots show highest concentrations Median PM 10 shows statistically significant decrease over time However, 95 th percentile show a statistically significant increase

Spring dust events Mainly in March, April and May Based on analysis of satellite imagery from 2002 to 2012 We find a similar distribution using PM10 data

3/18/12 Frontal Storm PM 10 beta gage filter tape during the storm Las Cruces, NM at 1pm Resulted in several road closures 47mm PM 10 filter collected over the 24- hour period

3/18/12 Frontal Storm Duration: most of day PM 10 measured using TEOM monitors 24-hr PM 10 as high as 1740 µg/m 3 Peak hourly PM 10 more than 10,000 µg/m 3 24-hr PM 2.5 more than 100 µg/m 3

4/17/13 frontal storm Duration: most of day 24-hr PM 2.5 as high as 90 µg/m 3 24-hr PM 10 as high as 661 µg/m 3 I-10 closed most of the day Based on lidar, most of the dust is confined to a layer less than 500 meters above the ground

Health Effects of Dust A recent study linking dust levels in El Paso with hospital admissions (Grineski et al. 2010) –Dust events were significantly associated with children’s acute bronchitis admissions –Dust and low wind events were associated with increased odds of hospital admissions for asthma and acute bronchitis amongst all ages and children, and the same was true for adults and dust –Low wind events were significantly associated with children’s asthma hospitalizations

Inhalation Pathways Important question is how far does it go into the lung? EPA has two health indicators for particulates. PM10 – particles less than 10 microns in diameter PM2.5 – particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter

Coccidiodomycosis ”Valley Fever” CDC, Coccidioides spp. “cocci” microns

Cocci in New Mexico Education and awareness campaign for clinical providers in New Mexico and public –Increase testing and diagnosis –Increase reporting 25 Expected that Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) is underreported in New Mexico –Misdiagnosed (pneumonia, COPD, bronchitis, asthma, TB, lung cancer) –Ineffective treatments (often antibiotics) Fisher et al Coccidioides endemic zone

New Mexico Department of Health Cocci Initiative Education and awareness campaign for clinical providers in New Mexico Statewide KAP survey of NM licensed clinicians CME training in Las Cruces, May 2010, 65 attendees Distribution of educational material from Valley Fever Center of Excellence Public education and awareness campaign Billboards (in conjunction with TB) Documentary Educational material in provider offices Increase testing and diagnosis Increase reporting

Mitigation Options for Local Dust Tested dust control options in Las Cruces Tried 5 types over 1 year ($ to $$$$) Pecan mulch ($) works well Polymer solutions work but $$$$

Project’s Geospatial Archive NMSU SPaRC lab inventories –Inventory of landforms, soils, hydrology, vegetation, precipitation, all types of land use –Created new landuse databases around satellite stations –Using these to model dust source locations

Project’s Modeling Archive NMSU CARSAME and State Climate inventories –AVHRR, MODIS, and GOES satellite imagery –Numerical model output from RUC, NAM, and CFSv2, and WRF over the region –HYSPLIT forward and backward trajectories –Climatological data over the region (and state) going back to 1895 –Dust source location database

Outreach Getting the word out in today’s world

Videos Promote individual investigators and studies Educational uses Document events

Collaborators Rebecca Armenta, Elizabeth Smith, Stan Engle, Yizhi Zhou, Manoj Shukla Dept. Plant & Environmental Sciences, NMSU Max Bleiweiss, Merrill Bean, Miranda Flores, Soum Sanogo, Melanie Lytle Dept. Entomology Plant Pathology & Weed Science, NMSU Randy Carr, Janet Greenlee, Charles Jackson, Andrew Martinez, Shelby Van Arnam Dept. of Geography, SPaRC lab NMSU Erin Ward Water Resources Research Institute NMSU Vic Etyemezian, George Nikolich Desert Research Institute Rosa Fitzgerald, Tom Gill UTEP Ilias Kavouras, Marie-Cecile Chalbot Univ. Arkansas Medical Sciences Michael Baca, Terry Hertel, Abel Ramirez NM Env. Dept., Air Quality Bureau Juan Pedro Flores Margez Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas Univ. Autonoma de Cd. Juarez

33 Dr. Dave DuBois NM State Climatologist Blog: nmborderaq.blogspot.com Website: nmborderair.nmsu.edu