The Generation of a Box Model of Near Roadside Emissions in New York City

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine seasonal changes in Nitrous Dioxide (NO2), Nitrous Oxides (NOx), and Ozone(O3) in New York City, one of the most polluted and populated cities in America. These high emissions levels can largely be attributed to traffic. Most fossil burning engines emit NOx, which is a key precursor to tropospheric ozone, an air pollutant and a greenhouse gas. Because of this quick photolysis of NO2 to form O3, many models underestimate the NOx roadside emissions. In this study recent observational data was taken from 2019, and used in order to collect the O3, NO2, NOx, and NO2/NOx levels at Air Quality Systems (AQS) from all over the country, including rural and urban regions. The observational data from the AQS were then separated into regions. This study focuses upon AQS data throughout the New York City region. Sites that were located within the radius of New York city were combined in order to create a Box Model of New York City’s O3, NOx, NO2, and NO2/NOx concentrations throughout the year. Concentration levels were compared from July and January in order to show the changes in emissions throughout the year. In this study PyCharm and BoxMox were utilized in order to demonstrate the Box Model of the New York City area. The results from this study assist in demonstrating patterns in emission data throughout the year, and demonstrate areas in New York with particularly high or low emissions concentrations.