ENSC 412 Project Ideas

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ENSC 412 Project Ideas

• Winter 2009

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ENSC 412 Project

• Group project
• With 7 students we can have one larger project or
  two smaller projects
• Project needs to
• Be useful for managing air quality
• Fit within the scope of ENSC 412
• Have sufficient academic content to justify
  inclusion
• Be doable in the finite time available
• Be fun and interesting!
• Several people have contributed ideas

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Project Idea 1

• Conduct air pollution modelling for the PG
  airshed using Calmet/Calpuff modelling system
  that has already been set up, for example to
  investigate importance of a particular source and
  improvements that could result if that source is
  reduced
• Technically difficult, but with system already
  set up, could be run as a black box (although
  this is potentially problematic too)

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Project Idea 1 - continued

• Note from Dennis Fudge

A follow-up to John's project can be done by
comparing the sensitivity of Calmet or Calpuff to
difference switches used. You may be able to
use this as a quality check on some of the
sources John used. Each student can used a
different source in their test runs.
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Project Idea 2

• Examine characteristics of road dust chemically
• We have samples that already have been collected.
  The samples could be analysed to determine their
  chemical and size composition
• Requires knowledge about lab analysis procedures
  etc.

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Project Idea 3

• Assessing background pollutant levels for PG by
  analysing data from Western Acres background site
  and comparing levels with other locations in PG

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Project Idea 4

• Examine the impact of industrial facilities on
  ambient levels in Prince George
• Collect dates of shutdowns and compare ambient
  pollutant levels with levels when no shutdowns
  occur
• Problem is with meteorology, which may be
  different from year to year affecting the levels
• One solution is to compare with levels from
  nearby communities having the same meteorology
  (e.g. Quesnel) but no shutdown
• Need to obtain a list of the shutdown dates and
  the ambient data

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2008 TRS Levels at Plaza 400

• Note the levels for December (pulp mills shutdown
  starting Dec 19th power boilers still operating
  and ponds also still releasing odorous substances)

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Project Idea 4 contd

• Notes from Dave Sutherland
• Peter I think if you were to use data from
  shutdown events over many years
• you might be able to get some meaningful analysis
  of the effects, by
• correcting for met factors. As with the episode
  analysis that was done some
• years ago, you would have to correlate with wind
  direction and covariants
• such as PM2.5 and SO2. The results could be
  compared with dispersion
• modelling of the same events, either by your
  class or later by a grad
• student. If your class could develop the method
  for this type of analysis
• it might be used to isolate the effect of other
  emission sources as well.
• This type of analysis, using actual data could
  provide an evaluation of the
• results of the dispersion and receptor modelling,
  as well as any further
• modelling of episodes that might be done in
  future.
• Dave

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Project Idea 4 - continued

• Notes from Dennis Fudge

The current mill closure is only one event and
meteorology will be the biggest influence on air
quality. If you are to go for this project
I would recommend comparing the air quality
pattern with that from other nearby communities
where there were no changes in the emissions.
You will have to get the air quality data from
other communities. But normally the 2008 is not
completely quality assured (QA) until the end of
March. Which means by the time you get the
January QA data for other communities, your class
would be finished for the season (unless
you decided to use the non-QA data) The overall
effect of mill shut downs has been one of my "get
around to it" projects. There are probably
records of each mill shut down for the past
twenty years on file in the office (partly in the
Annual Reports). A simple project would be to
look at the average concentrations three weeks
before the shut down, during shut down and three
weeks after, and hope that in the 20 year period
the seasonal variability would smooth itself out.
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Project Idea 5

• Idea from Dennis Fudge

Another suggestion is to determine how much
effect the relative humidity and temperature has
on filters being weighed using the Federal
Reference Method. We have filters in the office
from July 2008 for sites in Prince George. I have
spoken to Allen Esler in the Chemistry lab at
UNBC and he is able to get the equipment to vary
humidity. I was going to do this project over the
summer time but never got a chance to do it. If
you are able to prove that the change in humidity
affects the results you will be able to prove
that the federal reference method does not
provide accurate results for most communities and
PM measurement done with this approach has been
done incorrectly for years. If there is no
change, then it will be a learning curve for the
students in knowing that not all projects will
work out the way you plan it. However, I am
not certain whether this project is suited for
your class.
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Project Idea 6

• From Glenda Waddell

The monitor on North Nechako is showing higher
PM2.5 numbers than most of the monitors in town.
This includes months when the asphalt plants are
not running. This may be a good opportunity to
take a closer look at neighborhood impacts.
Thanks Glenda - that is a good idea. I am not
sure exactly how it should be approached but will
think more about it. (One issue is that the
monitor type - GRIMM I think is not the same as
a TEOM - both have biases, so that
intercomparison could be tricky.) Peter.
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Other Ideas

• Assessing state of the art in pollutant control
  for a relevant industry (literature review)
• Surveying the public on some aspect of air
  quality (will require ethics approval)
• Projects to improve emission inventory in PG
• Develop and partially implement a plan for public
  education concerning AQ
• Your ideas ???