Compilation and Evaluation of a Paso del Norte Emission Inventory for Use in Photochemical Dispersion Modeling

摘要

Emission inventories are now routinely used for planning purposes and as input to comprehensive photochemical air quality models. Photochemical model performance and the development of effective air pollution control strategies is predicated on the accuracy of an underlying emission inventory. The purpose of this study is to compile all existing air pollution emission inventory information for the El Paso / Ciudad Juarez / Southern Dona Ana region; generate a gridded, speciated emission inventory; and evaluate the accuracy and representativeness of the inventory. Existing point, area, and mobile source emissions data were obtained from local government agencies. Emissions were spatially and temporally allocated to a gridded domain using region-specific demographic and land cover information. The inventory was processed using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended Urban Airshed Model Emissions Preprocessor System 2.0 (UAM-EPS 2.0) which generates emissions files that can be directly used as input to the Urban Airshed Model. An evaluation of the emission inventory was then performed by comparing inventory non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC)/NO_X and CO/NO_X ratios to ambient ratios using air quality data collected during the 1996 Paso del Norte Ozone Study. Detailed NMHC species comparisons were also made in order to investigate the relative composition of individual hydrocarbon species in the emission inventory and in the ambient data.