สานตาม มุทธสกุล. Localized Air Quality and Population Disparities in Tampa, Florida . Master's Degree(Chemical Engineering). King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi. : King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, 2006.
Localized Air Quality and Population Disparities in Tampa, Florida
Abstract:
Air pollution concentrations are quantified by the use of air pollutant monitors. However, pollutant monitor
network does not typically characterize neighborhood scale exposures. Air pollutant concentrations can vary
over small scales depending on proximity to sources and transport characteristics which mean the number of air
quality monitors may not be sufficient for the smaller scale like the neighborhood scale. Consequently, some areas
which are not covered by air monitoring stations will have more chance of facing negative health effects by air pollution.
Moreover, previous work indicates that there seem to be disparities related to air pollutant among populations
(white, black, hispanic, and poor population) in Hillsborough County. The purpose of this study is to perform a preliminary
analysis of the potential for localized disparities in air pollutant exposure and air monitor network in Hillsborough County,
Florida. ArcGIS mapping software was used to perform qualitative analysis and quantitative geostatistical analysis. Air quality
model of the local scale, CALPUFF was used to predict the emission and area of air pollutant from each source.
The qualitative analysis suggests that the areas around air pollutant sources seem to have more non-white population
than white population. On the other hand the areas closer to air pollutant monitors seem to have larger white population
than non-white population. For the quantitative geostatistical analysis, the term disproportionality factor was created to
represent the disproportionality of population of interest residing within or outside the influenced areas. The results from
this analysis also support the result from qualitative analysis with more details. Finally, the result from CALPUFF dispersion
model indicates that there are many local areas which have high air pollutant concentration which does not have air monitors
placed nearby. It can be concluded that there are likely disparities related to air pollutant among populations in Hillsborough
County, and that monitors should be placed in the local area which has high concentrations of air pollutants.