1. TRAX Monitoring of Air Quality in the Salt Lake Valley
Erik Crosman
Logan Mitchell
Alexander Jacques
John Horel
John Lin
Daniel Mendoza
Project contacts:
Erik Crosman:
Daniel Mendoza:
Logan Mitchell:

2. Air Quality monitoring along the Wasatch Front
Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ) expanding its monitoring capabilities
University of Utah researchers have:
added air monitoring sensors in the Salt Lake Valley including on TRAX cars
collaborated with Utah DAQ and other university and federal researchers on air quality campaigns
collaborated with citizen science initiatives to enhance local air quality information
Lin et al. Submitted to the Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc.
Monitoring air quality in the Salt Lake Valley is quite advanced compared to other metropolitan basins
We have learned a lot but more is needed for informing public health outcomes 2

3. Connecting Air Quality TRAX Data to Public Health
To improve understanding of air quality along Wasatch Front:
Funding for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to generate data repository
Connect TRAX air quality data to public health
Better access to TRAX data for health outcome studies
Example: School recess guidelines 3

4. Appropriation Request for TRAX Air Quality
Synergistically work with DAQ to provide spatially resolved data for health studies (e.g., school recess, vulnerable populations).
Previous TRAX research was focused on meteorology and air quality, not health applications using the spatial data. Need support for validation, calibration, user support for ongoing 3-year data archive.
Only platform with ozone sensing outside of DAQ sites.
Sustained air quality monitoring (sensors need replacement or repair/maintenance)
Enhanced calibration, validation, quality control, and user support
Connecting the air quality information to enhance public health initiatives (e.g., school recess guidelines)

5. Advantages of Monitoring Air Quality on UTA TRAX
TRAX lines are ideally situated to monitor air quality:
Red Line: diagonal transect across valley
Green Line: “C” shape transect through urban corridor
Blue Line: north-south transect along valley floor
Regular transects allow monitoring air quality throughout the day
No direct pollutants emitted by the trains to contaminate measurements
No operator costs 5

6. 3-Year TRAX Pilot Project 2014-2017
Focused on understanding how pollutant episodes in the Salt Lake Valley develop & evolve
Two sets of pollution monitors installed on TRAX
Car 1136  December 2, 2014
Car 1104  February 2, 2016
Requires monthly maintenance & inspection visits
Outcomes:
Air quality information available via the internet to the public, educators, and researchers
Several dozen TV & radio news stories, blogs & press releases
Two published scientific papers, several in preparation
Over 12 presentations in United States air quality conferences
Many presentations involving educators and K-12 students 6

7. Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Sensors
Data are publicly available via the web link: 7

8. Real-Time Monitoring and Historical Data Access
1) Pollutants PM2.5 and Ozone:
2) Carbon Dioxide and Methane:
Data collected from TRAX displayed with other stationary and mobile resources from state agency (Utah Division of Air Quality), research (UofU), commercial, and citizen science (PurpleAir) initiatives 8

9. 6 July 2017 Ozone

10. Average Summer Ozone along the Red and Green lines
May 2015 – Sept 2015
Hours:
Higher O3 on urban periphery
Lower O3 in urban corridor 10

11. 50 “Effective” Stationary Observation Locations Along TRAX
June Ozone Example at Fairpark and UofU South Campus (< 6 mi. apart)
Data collected by TRAX can be used to complement UDAQ’s three air quality sites in Salt Lake Valley

12. Spatial PM2.5 Concentrations -- Inversion Episode from TRAX

13. Research-grade Instrumentation Initial Validation
Evaluated the TRAX observations against the Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ) Hawthorne site maintained by the state of Utah for US EPA regulatory purposes February 2016 PM (correlation coefficients ~ )
Summer 2016 – Summer 2017 O3 (correlation coefficients )
PM2.5 validation
O3 validation
NO2 validation

14. Thank You!