Roxana Air Quality Study

RAQS Shelter

 

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The Roxana Air Quality Study is being conducted in Roxana, IL. Selected air quality measurements started in 2011 with the full suite of routine measurements (below) starting in summer 2012. These routine measurements will continue for three years (i.e. until summer 2015).   

Monitoring Station

The monitoring station is located at the corner of W. Tydeman Avenue and S. Chaffer Avenue in Roxana, IL. It is directly south of Roxana High School and is on the property of the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery. This site is about 16 miles north/northeast of the Gateway Arch in the City of St. Louis.   

Measurements and Sample Analyses

  • Sampling for volatile organic carbon (VOC) and carbonyl compounds using an Eastern Research Group (ERG) sampler. 24-hour integrated whole air canister and DNPH cartridge samples are collected every sixth day and analyzed by ERG for VOC compounds by EPA Method TO-15 and for carbonyl compounds using EPA Method TO-11A.
  • Sampling for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) using MetOne SASS and URG 3000N samplers. 24-hour integrated samples are collected every sixth day and analyzed by RTI International for PM2.5 mass and species. These measurements include: gravimetric mass; elements by x-ray fluorescence (XRF); ions by ion chromatography (IC); and elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) by thermal-optical analysis (TOA) following the IMPROVE_A protocol. In addition, samples are analyzed by the Turner Group at Washington University for PM2.5 elements using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). For many elements of interest ICP-MS has superior detection limits compared to XRF.
  • Continuous monitoring for hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide gases using a Thermo Scientific 450i analyzer. Data are validated at 1-hour time resolution.
  • Continuous monitoring of meteorological parameters including wind speed and wind direction (10m); temperature (10m and 2m); relative humidity, pressure, solar radiation, and precipitation. Data are validated at 1-hour time resolution.  

 Measurement Data  

VOC, carbonyl and PM speciation data are also uploaded to the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) database. The site ID is 17-119-9100. Particulate matter and meteorology data collected prior to summer 2012 will be backfilled to this web site.     

Data Analysis

Data analyses will periodically be posted to this web site. In particular, the VOC and PM speciation data will be compared and contrasted with matched measurements conducted by Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) at the Blair Street NCore site located in the City of St. Louis, located about 14.5 miles to the south/southwest. 

  • Meteorology - an evaluation of the spatial representativeness of on-site winds data. (Version 1; July 3, 2012)

Please acknowledge the Air Quality Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis (Jay Turner, Director) for any use of the measurement data or analyses posted to this web site.


Management, Operations and Contact Information


The Roxana Air Quality Study is being conducted by Washington University in St. Louis.  Dr. Jay Turner is the Principal Investigator.  Mr. Li Du, a doctoral student in the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, is responsible for the field operations, in-house ICP-MS analysis, and data analysis.  Jay Turner is the point of contact.

Jay Turner
Associate Professor of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
CB 1180 / One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899 / USA
telephone: 314-935-5480
email: JRTURNER@WUSTL.EDU

Updated June 4, 2014