New Satellite Provides Continuous Record of Air Pollution in the US
Scientists have obtained the first images from a new satellite instrument that will provide the nation’s first continuous record of air pollution. The satellite, named TEMPO, will remain stationed above North America and will offer scientists hourly updates on air pollution levels across the country during daytime hours. The initial images reveal changes in nitrogen dioxide pollution over the United States throughout the course of a day.
Xiong Liu, the deputy mission director and a physicist at the Center for Astrophysics run by Harvard University and the Smithsonian Institution, expressed excitement over the functioning of the instrument. TEMPO has the capability to measure several other pollutants apart from nitrogen dioxide.
The release of these images coincides with a period of poor air quality in the United States, with smoke from wildfires engulfing numerous cities and regions. However, even prior to this summer, the improvement in air quality that Americans experienced since the enactment of the Clean Air Act in 1970 had started to level off.
Dr. Liu pointed out that despite the progress made in reducing air pollution, one-third of Americans still reside in areas with unhealthy levels of pollution. Nitrogen dioxide, which is emitted through fuel combustion, creates other forms of pollution through chemical reactions in the air. The images from TEMPO highlight hotspots of nitrogen dioxide around major cities, with higher concentrations during peak traffic hours.
To better understand the factors contributing to the stagnation of air quality improvement, scientists conducted field research across the country this summer. The movement of pollutants across long distances through wind has made it difficult to identify the main sources of pollution on a national scale. The hourly updates from TEMPO are expected to revolutionize researchers’ ability to track air pollution from its origins.
While car traffic has been a significant contributor to air pollution historically, stricter emissions standards have reduced pollution resulting from driving. However, the relative importance of consumer products and materials emitting volatile organic compounds has increased, contributing to stubbornly high ground-level ozone concentrations in certain areas.
Additionally, fine particulate pollution, known as PM2.5, which can cause heart and lung diseases, has been increasing after a period of decline. A study published last fall attributed this rise to the intensifying frequency of wildfires, driven by climate change.
TEMPO will provide air pollution data with a resolution of approximately four square miles. The field research conducted this summer complements the satellite’s observations by offering more localized data. Scientists collected data from various routes, covering economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and neighborhoods with higher populations of color, which often face disproportionate pollution and have limited data available.
The availability of TEMPO’s data to the general public is expected in spring 2024. Over 400 users, including state and federal agencies, have already signed up as early adopters. Researchers at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York plan to study how air pollutants affect children’s asthma symptoms using TEMPO data, while the Connecticut Bureau of Air Management aims to investigate the sources of the state’s high ozone pollution.
Dr. Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne, a collaborator on the TEMPO mission and a professor of environmental health at Columbia University, hopes that the research conducted this summer will provide policymakers with valuable insights to address the ongoing air quality challenges in the nation.