On-road vehicular emissions make large contributions to urban and regional pollution in the developed and developing worlds, and as such can exert significant effects on climate and human health. This project will further develop an existing infrared photometer method for selective trace gas measurement at high time resolution and at significantly reduced cost-per-sensor then test an array of such sensors deployed on multi-lane highways in order to measure vehicular emissions under a variety of representative road and traffic conditions. Tasks include optimizing sensor prototype performance, laboratory testing of sensor response to changes in ambient conditions, then deploying on-road with further testing and comparisons with more traditional measurement methods. This improvement of existing technology may lead through field application to new scientific insights regarding emissions from on-road mobile sources.
The broader impacts of this research include necessary preliminary work leading to widespread application of unattended low-cost sensors for a variety of on-road vehicle emissions, thereby enabling new cost effective instrumentation and sampling protocols in the future for monitoring compliance with vehicular pollution control regulations. This will have clear benefits for better understanding and improving climate, habitability and human health, particularly in urban/industrialized regions and lead to emerging technology of high policy relevance related to public health and societal benefit through sustainable urban development. The project will also form the basis of dissertation research for one graduate student and provide research experience opportunities for a number of undergraduates.
