Project Leader: Stephen Stewart

There is very little available data relating to fine particulate matter (PM) emissions from in-use light-duty vehicles. The goal of this project is to collect PM_2.5 emissions data from light-duty diesel and gasoline vehicles, for the purposes of characterizing the PM emissions of the in-use fleet. The resulting data will be used for emission factor development; to aid in developing mitigation strategies; and to support effectiveness evaluation of mitigation strategies. In addition, the PM emission data will contribute to inventory work, development of emission reduction strategies, and evaluation of reduction strategies.

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Project leader: Konrad Walus

This project proposes to develop novel sensor technology for characterizing and quantifying volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. The devices will be integrated into the exiting monitoring network, which covers a wide geographical range across the province. As a result, the data collected by the sensors can be used to locate the associated pollution sources. The information acquired with these sensors will help enforce the BC Air Action Plan, which has identified VOCs as one of the worst pollutants in BC.

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Project leader: William Osei

This project will measure ambient air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM), at a fine spatial resolution using mobile monitoring, which will complement the existent fixed monitoring done by the Ministry of Environment. The mobile monitoring will provide the resolution necessary to identify pollution "hotspots" within the airshed, which will, in turn, support airshed management planning and air pollution control strategies. In addition, it will provide a more detailed "exposure" assessment for studying air pollution-related health effects, and inform the greater public understanding on air pollution in Prince George.

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Also see appendices: Appendices A-F, Appendix G, Appendix H, Appendix I (large file: 15 MB) and Appendix J.

Project Leader: Michael Koehle

Exercise is an important parameter in the prevention of disease, access to work and quality of life for many individuals. Exercise in the outdoors is the most accessible form of activity for many individuals; however, the effects of air pollution on urban exercisers remain unclear. There are pre-existing guidelines for individuals, particularly those with disease to limit exercise during times of high air pollution. However, there is little reliable evidence for this, and due to the positive implications of exercise on health, it would be beneficial to better understand this relationship. Inflammatory and oxidative stress markers will be studied in individuals at a variety of exercise intensities.

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Project Leader: Winnie Chu

Airborne particulate matter and ground-level ozone are the two main components of smog. Most environmental agencies (including the BC Ministry of the Environment) routinely monitor these two air pollution indicators to assess overall ambient air quality. Exposure to airborne particles increases human mortality and morbidity from respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases. While particles as small as 2.5 µm are now monitored in many BC locations, currently no system is in place to quantify much smaller particulates. It is evident that nanoparticles exhibit higher toxicity than micron size particles of identical substances. The proposed nanosensor is designed to fill the current gap in existing air monitoring and management systems.

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Project Leader: Doug Steyn

The objective of this project is to provide a policy-relevant understanding of ambient ozone and emissions of ozone precursors in the Lower Fraser Valley (LFV) through modelling. The models will be evaluated on the demonstration of responsiveness to emissions changes (gross reductions in NOx and VOC), changes in chemical speciation and spatial and temporal shifts in emissions) that have occurred in the past, and are likely to occur in future scenarios. Models will also be evaluated by demonstrating that they can successfully capture the decadal evolution of photochemical pollution in the LFV in relation to changes in emissions and meteorology.

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