Author(s)

Zixian Wang¹, Jennifer L. Anthony¹, Larry E. Erickson¹, Michael J. Higgins², Gregory L. Newmark³

¹Tim Taylor Department of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
²Department of Statistics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
³Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.

Ground-level ozone is a harmful air pollutant associated with several health issues. Ozone concentrations have exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in the Chicago metropolitan area on hot summer days for many years because of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions. Annual fourth highest 8-hour ozone concentrations have been between 0.070 and 0.084 ppm at several monitoring sites in Cook county, during the 2016-2018 time period. The continuous measurement of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃) was conducted in several communities in Chicago in 2017. The air pollution impacts the health of all who live in the area. The data were used to analyze correlations between the O₃ distribution and its association with ambient concentrations of NO₂ from transportation emissions. Higher concentrations in NO₂ and O₃ occurred in succession in the daytime. The diurnal variation of O₃ concentration was analyzed. The daily cycle of NO₂ concentration reaches a maximum in the late morning and has smaller nighttime concentrations. The daily cycle of ozone concentration reaches the maximum in the afternoon and also becomes smaller for nighttime concentrations. In addition, relationships were found between O₃ and NO₂. Monthly variations of ozone and NO₂ are presented. Some options to reduce ozone pollution are presented.

Volatile Organic Compounds, Health, Vehicle Emissions, Daily Transient Cycles, Ozone Precursors, Photochemical Reactions

Wang, Z. , Anthony, J. , Erickson, L. , Higgins, M. and Newmark, G. (2020) Nitrogen Dioxide and Ozone Pollution in the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Journal of Environmental Protection, 11, 551-569. doi: 10.4236/jep.2020.118033.