Comparative Assessment of Pollutant Concentrations and Meteorological Parameters from TCEQ CAMS Sites at Houston and Rio Grande Valley Regions of Texas, USA in 2016

Abstract

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in pollutant concentrations exists at the intra-urban level. In this research work, the concentrations of various pollutants and meteorological parameters are characterized between various central ambient monitoring sites at Houston, TX, and the Rio Grande Valley Regions of South Texas. Meteorological (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction) and pollutant (O3, SO2, CO, NO2, and various PM species) concentrations were downloaded from the appropriate Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Central Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) sites for the year 2016. Correlation Analyses and Coefficient of Divergence (COD) analyses suggest that statistically significant differences occur between the various TCEQ CAMS sites in the Houston Region. Findings from this study will help the various stakeholders involved in assessing the overall air pollutants exposure burden for the local populations.