Ozone concentrations in air flowing into New York State

Abstract

Ozone (O3) concentrations measured at Pinnacle State Park (PSPNY), very close to the southern border of New York State, are used to estimate concentrations in air flowing into New York. On 20% of the ozone season (April–September) afternoons from 2004 to 2015, mid-afternoon 500-m back trajectories calculated from PSPNY cross New York border from the south and spend less than three hours in New York State, in this area of negligible local pollution emissions. One-hour (2p.m.–3p.m.) O3 concentrations during these inflowing conditions were 46 ± 13 ppb, and ranged from a minimum of 15 ppb to a maximum of 84 ppb. On average during 2004–2015, each year experienced 11.8 days with inflowing 1-hr O3 concentrations exceeding 50 ppb, 4.3 days with O3 > 60 ppb, and 1.5 days had O3 > 70 ppb. During the same period, 8-hr average concentrations (10a.m. to 6p.m.) exceeded 50 ppb on 10.0 days per season, while 3.9 days exceeded 60 ppb, and 70 ppb was exceeded 1.2 days per season. Two afternoons of minimal in-state emission influences with high ozone concentrations were analyzed in more detail. Synoptic and back trajectory analysis, including comparison with upwind ozone concentrations, indicated that the two periods were characterized as photo-chemically aged air containing high inflowing O3 concentrations most likely heavily influenced by pollution emissions from states upwind of New York including Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Ohio. These results suggest that New York state-level attempts to comply with National Ambient Air Quality Standards by regulating in-state O3 precursor NOx and organic emissions would be very difficult, since air frequently enters New York State very close to or in excess of Federal Air Quality Standards.