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GEO Task US-09-01aHealth SBA

SBA: Health – Air Quality

Analyst: Rudolf Husar, Washington University/LanternCo-Analyst: Stefan Falke, Wash. U./Northrop Grumman.

Current Status of Report:

Awaiting feedback from Task Lead & some AQ members

Date Final Report will be completed (if not already):

April/May 2010?

Sub-Areas Analyzed

Scope Focus: Air Quality

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AQ Observation Sub-Areas

• Pollutant Parameters

• Observation Coverage

• Observation Strategy/Utility

Science-based AQ System Subareas

• Emissions, Primary/Secondary

• Ambient Concentrations

Prioritization Methodology

Prioritization uses three independent (orthogonal) measures of EOs:

• Pollutants: What is the health effect potency of the pollutant;

• Coverage: Spatial-temporal coverage of the EOs;

• Utility: Applicability of the EO for multiple aspects of AQH

EOs are ranked by each measure individually. The overall priority is the subjectively weighed sum of the 3-dimensional rankings.

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Prioritization Methodology

Pollutants: WHO Guidelines Identifies pollutants and their max values

Measure: Gap between health needs and obs. frequency

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Utility: EO application in multiple segments of the AQ system

Measure: Number of applications to AQH

Note: Bibliometric data used only as a backup/consistency check in the prioritization

Coverage: AQ monitoring by country/continent

Measure: Gap in monitoring/pers. between developed and developing countries

General Approach: Gap Analysis

Priority Observations for AQ-Health

Obs. Category Parameter Spatial Priority

Aggregated Observation CharacteristicsSpatial

ResolutionTemporal

Resolution Accuracy LatencyTier 1             

Ambient  PM2.5 Africa, Asia1 km city  10km rural 1-hr 10-20%1-3 hours

Ambient  SO2 Africa, Asia1 km city  10km rural 1-hr 10-20%1-3 hours

Ambient  NO2 Africa, Asia1 km city  10km rural 1-hr 10-20%1-3 hours

Ambient  O3 Africa, Asia1 km city  10km rural 1-hr 10-20%1-3 hours

Ambient  PM10 Africa, Asia1 km city  10km rural 1-hr 10-20%1-3 hours

             Tier 2            

Ambient, Emissions, SRR Column PM2.5 Global 1-10 km 1-hr 20%1-3 hours

Ambient, Emissions, SRR Column SO2 Global 1-10 km 1-hr 20%1-3 hours

Ambient, Emissions, SRR Column NO2 Global 1-10 km 1-hr 20%1-3 hours

Ambient, Emissions, SRR Column O3 Global 1-10 km 1-hr 20%1-3 hours

Ambient PM10 Global 1-10 km 1-hr 10-20%1-3 hours             Tier 3            Exposure Population Global 1 km city  1 year 20%  Ambient Weather Global 1-10 km 1-hr 20%1-3 hours

Ambient, Emissions, SRR PM2.5 Comp. Global 1-10 km 1-hr; 1-day 10-20%1-3 weeksEmission, SRR VOCs Global 1-10 km 1-hr 10-20%1-3 weeks

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Analyst Feedback on Methodology

Pro: Systems and Gap analysis is based on science and data

Con: Science and data may not be available

Applicability: Applicable to well-defined SBA apps, e.g. agriculture, some disasters?

Recommended for future? Yes, the science/gap approach for user requirements is applicable to the next phases of US-0901

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Interpretation of Results

• The list of the main air pollutants is established through national and international standards and guidelines:PM2.5,

• The per capita AQ monitoring in the developing regions is 10-20 times lower than in the developed North America and Western Europe.

• PM2.5, the best available indicator of health-related effects, is virtually unmonitored in the developing world, and even the existing monitoring data are not accessible.

• Hence, there is a need to extend AQ monitoring (esp. PM2.5) in the densely populated developing regions and to improve data access for science, AQ management, and the general public.

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Limitations/ Caveats

Biases:

• The Analyst is professionally promoting data dissemination; improved data accessibility recommendation is self-serving

• Ditto for focus on PM2.5

Limitations:

• Monitoring coverage gap analysis is clearly incomplete

• Feedback from Advisory Group marginal

Linkages:

• Health SBA sub-areas: Infectious Diseases and Aeroallergens

• On the causal side, AQ is linked to the Energy use, Disasters (fires, dust storms, volcanoes) , Weather and the Climate SBAs.

• AQ is influencing Ecosystems and Agricultural plant growth 8