Receptor Methods for VOC Source Apportionment in Urban Environments

Abstract

Receptor modeling provides quantitative estimates of the impacts of sources on ambient air, primarily from inter-relationships of the ambient concentrations of individual air pollutant species measured at a receptor site. In contrast to dispersion modeling, receptor modeling employs only minimal meteorological and emissions inventory information. Its ultimate use is to arrive at minimum cost emissions control strategies that will be effective in reducing the air pollutants of interest. The development of receptor modeling methods began about 20 years ago, to provide answers to questions about the quantitative contributions made by potential sources to particulate air pollution. Since that time particulate receptor modeling has expanded from its initial focus on determining the sources of measured ambient particulate mass concentration, to the sources of particulate-related parameters such as visibility degradation (Lewis et al., 1986), mutagenicity (Lewis et al., 1988) and tumorigenicity (Lewtas et al., 1992). The success of these methods for particulate problems has naturally led to their consideration in the volatile organic compound (VOC) area.