Ambient Air Quality and Effects Monitoring

Tonnie Maniero

National Park Service

Northeast Region

585-461-2106

<Tonnie_Maniero@nps.gov>

August 13, 2002

♦ The 1977 Clean Air Act amendments direct the NPS to protect air
quality specifically in 48 designated Class I air quality areas (all
other NPS units are designated Class II). However, because the NPS
Organic Act, the Wilderness Act, and some parks\' Enabling Legislation
provide the basis for air quality protection in all NPS units, NPS
*Management Policie*s make no distinction in the level of air quality
protection afforded to Class I versus Class II NPS areas. Further, the
*Management Policies* state that the Service will monitor and document
the condition of air quality and related values, *i.e*., resources, in
NPS units.

♦ There are certain "responsibilities" associated with Class I air
quality areas. For example, state permitting authorities are required to
send permit applications for new air pollution sources proposed near
Class I areas to the managers of those areas. The managers are expected
to comment on whether or not the new source emissions will adversely
affect air quality and/or resources in the Class I areas. Consequently,
to help address permit application-related questions and other air
quality issues, Class I areas typically conduct one or more types of
ambient air quality monitoring. In addition to the NPS, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service (FS) also
manage Class I areas. Class II areas can benefit from the monitoring
data collected by, and the permit application reviews conducted for,
nearby Class I areas. A map of NPS Class I areas can be found at
[[http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/parks/npscl1b.pdf]{.underline}](http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/sitemap.htm);
a map of FWS Class I areas is at
<http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/fws/fws.pdf>; and a map of FS Class I
areas is at <http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/parks/fscl1b.pdf>.

♦ For years, the Air Resources Division (ARD) focused on monitoring
ambient concentrations and effects of the following air pollutants in
parks: fine particles (less than 10 micrometers in diameter), ozone, and
nitrogen and sulfur deposited in both dry and wet form. Recently, the
ARD has also started to play a role in monitoring toxic compounds such
as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals like mercury,
lead, zinc, and cadmium.

♦ Fine particles reduce visibility. Not only do they decrease the
distance one can see; they also decrease the color and clarity of a
scene. Because visibility is often cited as an important reason for a
visit to many parks, reduced visibility can make a visit less enjoyable.

♦ Ozone is a significant human health concern in many urban areas, and
unfortunately, also in many parks. It causes respiratory problems, and
has recently been linked to an increased incidence of childhood asthma.
Ozone also affects vegetation. Sensitive species exhibit foliar injury
(*i.e*., yellow spots or chlorosis on needles of conifers; purple/black
spots or stipple on upper surfaces of leaves of deciduous plants),
reduced growth, and early leaf drop. Affected plants also appear to be
more susceptible to other stressors such as drought and disease.

♦ Sulfur and nitrogen compounds deposited in dry and wet form can
acidify soils and surface waters, with resulting effects on biota.
Acidified soils tend to increase aluminum availability, which can be
toxic to plants and animals. Many fish, amphibian, and invertebrate
species are not able to survive in lakes and streams with low pH.
Deposited nitrogen can cause a shift in plant community composition,
increasing the number of nitrophilic species. Too much nitrogen can also
eutrophy soils and surface waters.

♦ Concern about potential impacts of POPs and heavy metals in national
parks increases as we gain more information about their effects and
their persistence in the environment. These compounds can be toxic at
low concentrations; many of them increase in concentration as animals
age; they can accumulate in key body tissues; and they can biomagnify in
the food chain. A workshop was held in June 2001 to develop a strategy
for monitoring POPs and heavy metals in some western U.S. national
parks. Results of the workshop are available at
[[http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/aqmon/air_toxics/]{.underline}](http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/aqmon/air_toxics/).
Many states do some toxics monitoring, though most is done in urban
areas, and most monitoring does not involve POPs or heavy metals.
Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to contact state air agencies to find out
if they are conducting any toxics monitoring that would be of interest
to national parks. State air contact information is available at
[http://www.cleanairworld.org/scripts/stappa.asp]{.underline}.

♦ It is often not obvious whether or not air pollution is an issue in a
national park. It is sometimes helpful to look at a state emissions
inventory to see how much air pollution is being emitted by sources in
the area. There are three types of air pollution sources. Stationary
sources, like power plants, paper mills, or factories, typically have a
smokestack. Mobile sources include cars, trains, airplanes, boats,
*etc*. Area sources are almost everything else. They include feedlots,
construction sites, quarries, and forest fires. The following website
lists the amount of air pollution emitted by state, on a
county-by-county basis, in 1996: <http://www.epa.gov/ttnotag1/areas/>.
Because some pollutants can travel hundreds of miles from their source,
a better way to get a handle on the importance of air pollution for a
particular park is to examine relevant ambient monitoring data.

♦ Ambient air monitoring is conducted in a number of national parks, and
many more have representative monitoring data collected outside the
park. The NPS is a partner in national monitoring programs, and the ARD
advocates using data collected through these programs. The advantages of
the national monitoring networks are: 1) the sites use the same
monitoring protocols, 2) the data have high QA/QC requirements, 3) the
data are easily accessible and 4) national data roll-up is simplified.
The monitoring networks include:

Visibility - Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments
(IMPROVE) - <http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/>

Ozone -- State and federal ozone monitoring sites that enter their data
into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) AIRS Database -
<http://www.epa.gov/air/data/>

Wet deposition - National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends
Network (NADP/NTN) - <http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/>

Dry deposition - Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNet) -
[http://www.epa.gov/castnet/]{.underline}

Determining the location of existing monitoring sites relative to parks,
and evaluating how well those sites represent air quality conditions in
parks, will allow Network staff to identify any ambient air quality
monitoring needs.

♦ Air Inventory products prepared by the ARD and the University of
Denver provide Network staff with estimated ambient concentrations in
parks for a number of air quality parameters (see Air Inventory handout
for more information). ARD can help Network staff determine if these
concentrations pose a potential threat to park resources.

♦ The Clean Air Act directs the NPS to protect air quality related
values (AQRV) from the adverse impacts of air pollution. Air quality
related values are generally defined as visibility, flora, fauna, soils,
water, and cultural resources. The ARD assumes that visibility is a
value that every NPS unit would want to protect, and therefore, may want
to monitor (if representative monitoring is not being conducted). From
an ecological standpoint, ARD recommends reviewing all available
information for Network parks including: water quality pH and acid
neutralizing capacity (ANC) data (including Water Resources Division
Horizon reports), NPSpecies vascular plant lists (to compare to lists of
known ozone sensitive species), and reports from any air pollution
effects projects conducted in or near the parks (or relevant to the
parks). Hopefully this information will help Network staff identify air
pollution sensitive resources in parks. Combining information on
sensitive resources with that on pollution levels will indicate the need
for air pollution effects monitoring.

♦ Some things to remember about the process:

-   Air quality monitoring includes ambient monitoring and effects.
    There's not much point in monitoring air pollution if you don't know
    what effect it's having on the resources.

-   Ambient air quality monitoring is expensive. It's still necessary to
    identify needed monitoring in the event that others (*e.g*., EPA,
    states) may be able to fund a monitoring site.

-   ARD is advocating foliar injury surveys for ozone for a number of
    reasons. First, ozone is a widespread pollutant. Second, levels are
    high enough in many parks that injury may be observed. Third, many
    parks have species, such as black cherry or ponderosa pine, which
    show well-defined symptoms of ozone injury. Fourth, fairly well
    developed protocols already exist for ozone injury surveys. Finally,
    foliar injury surveys are relatively inexpensive compared to other
    types of ozone effects monitoring. Network staff should be aware,
    however, that there is controversy regarding foliar injury surveys.
    Plants can have growth effects without displaying foliar injury.
    Conversely, plants with foliar injury don't necessarily have reduced
    growth.

-   ARD recommends monitoring surface water, rather than soil, effects
    from deposition, because surface water monitoring is easier and less
    expensive. If surface water acidification is a concern for Network
    parks, Networks need to add ANC to their suite of water chemistry
    parameters, because simply monitoring pH will not provide sufficient
    information about deposition.

-   Network staff should look for opportunities to coordinate air
    quality effects monitoring with other monitoring programs, *e.g*.,
    forest health, to reduce monitoring costs.

Plant Species Very Sensitive to Ozone

These species would be expected to produce distinctive foliar injury
when exposed to "normal" levels of ambient ozone. This list was
developed for the AIR Synthesis Project and is considered a work in
progress. This version is dated September 20, 1999.

  ---------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------
  **Scientific Name**          **Common Name**         **Family**

  Ailanthus altissima          Tree-of-heaven          Simaroubaceae

  Amelanchier alnifolia        Saskatoon serviceberry  Rosaceae

  Apocynum androsaemifolium    Spreading dogbane       Apocynaceae

  Artemisia douglasiana        Mugwort                 Asteraceae

  Aster acuminatus             Whorled aster           Asteraceae

  Aster engelmannii            Engelmann\'s aster      Asteraceae

  Asclepias exaltata           Tall milkweed           Asclepiadaceae

  Aster macrophyllus           Big-leaf aster          Asteraceae

  Aster puniceus               Purple-stemmed aster    Asteraceae

  Asclepias quadrifolia        Four-leaved milkweed    Asclepiadaceae

  Asclepias syriaca            Common milkweed         Asclepiadaceae

  Aster umbellatus             Flat-toppped aster      Asteraceae

  Fraxinus americana           White ash               Oleaceae

  Fraxinus pennsylvanica       Green ash               Oleaceae

  Gentiana amarella            Northern gentian        Gentianaceae

  Liquidambar styraciflua      Sweetgum                Hamamelidaceae

  Liriodendron tulipifera      Yellow-poplar           Magnoliaceae

  Oenothera elata              Evening primrose        Onagraceae

  Parthenocissus quinquefolia  Virginia creeper        Vitaceae

  Physocarpus capitatus        Ninebark                Rosaceae

  Philadelphus coronarius      Sweet mock-orange       Hydrangeaceae

  Pinus jeffreyi               Jeffrey pine            Pinaceae

  Pinus ponderosa              Ponderosa pine          Pinaceae

  Pinus pungens                Table mountain pine     Pinaceae

  Pinus taeda                  Loblolly pine           Pinaceae

  Platanus occidentalis        American sycamore       Platanaceae

  Populus tremuloides          Quaking aspen           Salicaceae

  Prunus pensylvanica          Pin cherry              Rosaceae

  Prunus serotina              Black cherry            Rosaceae

  Rhus copallina               Flameleaf sumac         Anacardiaceae

  Rubus allegheniensis         Allegheny blackberry    Rosaceae

  Rudbeckia hirta              Black-eyed susan        Asteraceae

  Rudbeckia laciniata          Cut-leaf coneflower     Asteraceae

  Sassafras albidum            Sassafras               Lauraceae

  Sambucus canadensis          American elder          Caprifoliaceae

  Sambucus mexicana            Blue elderberry         Caprifoliaceae

  Sambucus racemosa            Red elderberry          Caprifoliaceae

  Senecio serra                Tall butterweed         Asteraceae

  Vaccinium membranaceum       Thin-leaved blueberry   Ericaceae

  Vitis labrusca               Northern fox grape      Vitaceae
  ---------------------------- ----------------------- ------------------

SOURCE: National Park Service, Air Resources Division and Pennsylvania
State University, Department of Plant Pathology, June 1999.

Plant Species Slightly Sensitive to Ozone

These species would show distinctive foliar injury only when exposed to
"extremely high" levels of ambient ozone. This list was developed for
the AIR Synthesis Project and is considered a work in progress. This
version is dated September 20, 1999.

  ----------------------------------- ------------------ ------------------
  **Scientific Name**                 **Common Name**    **Family**

  Acer macrophyllum                   Bigleaf maple      Aceraceae

  Acer negundo                        Boxelder           Aceraceae

  Acer rubrum                         Red maple          Aceraceae

  Aesculus glabra                     Ohio buckeye       Hippocastanaceae

  Aesculus octandra                   Yellow buckeye     Hippocastanaceae

  Betula alleghaniensis               Yellow birch       Betulaceae

  Betula populifolia                  Gray birch         Betulaceae

  Bromus tectorum                     Cheatgrass         Poaceae

  Cercis canadensis                   Redbud             Fabaceae

  Cladrastis lutea                    Yellowwood         Fabaceae

  Cornus florida                      Flowering dogwood  Cornaceae

  Glyceria nubigena                   Manna grass        Poaceae

  Krigia montana                      Mountain dandelion Asteraceae

  Larix decidua                       European larch     Pinaceae

  Larix leptolepis                    Japanese larch     Pinaceae

  Pinus nigra                         Austrian pine      Pinaceae

  Pinus radiata                       Monterey pine      Pinaceae

  Pinus rigida                        Pitch pine         Pinaceae

  Pinus virginiana                    Virginia pine      Pinaceae

  Rhus glabra                         Smooth sumac       Anacardiaceae

  Rhus trilobata                      Skunkbush          Anacardiaceae

  Rhus typhina                        Staghorn sumac     Anacardiaceae

  Robinia pseudoacacia                Black locust       Fabaceae

  Rubus idaeus                        Red raspberry      Rosaceae

  Rugelia nudicaulis                  Rugel\'s ragwort   Asteraceae

  Saxifraga arguta                    Saxifrage          Saxifragaceae

  Salix gooddingii                    Gooding\'s willow  Salicaceae

  Salix scouleriana                   Scouler\'s willow  Saliaceae

  Spiraea x vanhouttei                Vanhoutte spirea   Rosaceae

  Symphoricarpos albus                Common snowberry   Caprifoliaceae

  Syringa x chinensis                 Chinese lilac      Oleaceae

  Syringa vulgaris                    Common lilac       Oleaceae

  Tilia americana                     American basswood  Tiliaceae

  Tilia euchlora                      Crimean linden     Tiliaceae

  Tilia platyphyllos                  Bigleaf linden     Tiliaceae

  Toxicodendron radicans              Poison-ivy         Anacardiaceae

  Verbesina occidentalis              Crownbeard         Asteraceae

  Vitis californica                   California grape   Vitaceae

  Vitis girdiana                      Wild grape         Vitaceae

  Vitis riparia                       Riverbank grape    Vitaceae

  Vitis vinifera                      European wine      Vitaceae
                                      grape              
  ----------------------------------- ------------------ ------------------

SOURCE: National Park Service, Air Resources Division and Pennsylvania
State University, Department of Plant Pathology, December 1998.