California Air Resources Board

Principal Investigator/Author: Allen Goldstein

Contractor: University of California, Berkeley

Sub-contractor: Naval Postgraduate School

Contract Number: 20RD003

Project Status: Active

Relevant CARB Programs: California State Implementation Plans, Air Toxics Program

Topic Areas: State Implementation Plans (SIPs), Ozone, Particulate Matter (PM), PM2.5, Emissions Data, Light-Duty Vehicles, Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Diesel Exhaust, Heavy-Duty Vehicle Research, Non-Exhaust Emissions

Research Summary:

Strict air pollution rules have lowered harmful substances in California's air, but ozone and tiny particle levels still exceed safe limits in many places. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which contribute to this pollution, come from various sources. While vehicle emissions have dropped, those from factories, homes, and natural sources remain high. Rising global temperatures could make the situation worse, but we don't know how much.

To address this problem, a 2021 project used research aircraft to measure VOC and NOx emissions across California. These measurements will be compared with existing emission records, helping California improve its pollution data and models. This will guide future strategies to reduce harmful ozone and particle pollution.

Keywords: volatile organic compounds, speciation, ozone, formation regime, PM2.5, secondary organic aerosols, air quality, emission sources, volatile chemical products, biogenic emissions, source apportionment, state implementation plans, PTR-MS

Research Seminar