| Author | Pichnaree Lalitaporn |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-11-11 |
| Subject(s) | Air--Pollution--Remote sensing--Evaluation
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) or aerosol is of great concern due to its adverse health effects and also plays a significant role in the Earth’s climate system. Conventional ground-level PM monitoring is hampered by the limitation in spatial distribution and the difficulty in sampling techniques. Satellite aerosol remote sensing recently gains increased attention due to its large spatial coverage and low cost. The objective of this study is to explore the possibility of PM air pollution assessment by the retrieved satellite AOT data. First, sampling and analysis for PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration and composition (water soluble ions, elements, BC and WSOC) were conducted at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) during the dry season, Dec. 2010 –Jan. 2011. The 24-h average PM2.5 and PM10 were 46 and 60 μg/m³, respectively. The largest component in PM2.5 and PM10 was WSOC followed by BC and SO42-. Satellite AOT data were retrieved from websites including daily MODIS-Terra, MODIS-Aqua and 9-daily MISR. The regression relationships between ground PM and AOT value were investigated using the ground monitoring data collected at AIT and Pollution Control Department (PCD) station (Rangsit, Pathumthani) during 2008-2010. The PM mass and AOT regression was performed with and without cloud screening procedure. The latter has led to the improvement in correlation coefficients between MODIS/MISRAOT and 2-hourly/daily PM10 mass especially for the lower cloud fractions (≤ 3/10 and ≤ 4/10). 2-hourly PM10 gave a better correlation than daily PM10 with AOT (0.40 < R < 0.47 and 0.34 < R < 0.41, respectively). For MISRAOT, daily PM10 gave a slightly greater correlation than 2-hourly. In general, the correlation between PM10 and MISR AOT was better than MODIS AOT. The effect of the grid size on the PM10-AOT relationship was generally small for the grid-size range tested (10x10km²& 50x50km²). Effect of other meteorological variables, the relative humidity (RH) and wind speed (WS) on the PM-AOT relationship were also investigated. The results revealed that incorporating RH and WS parameters in the PM-AOT comparative analysis slightly improved the PM-AOT correlation by 0.01 –0.09. The available daily PM10 and PM2.5 mass and compositions were also used for the regression analysis with MODIS AOT. The results showed that daily PM10 and PM2.5 had similar correlations with MODIS AOT (both Terra and Aqua). Average daily PM10 for the PCD and AIT stations show similar correlation coefficients as those for PCD station alone due to the small number of data points available at AIT. The chemical compositions data of PM10 and PM2.5 collected at AIT campus during the period of 2006-2007 were used to compare with AOT data. The results indicated that when sulfate ion (SO42-) and black carbon (BC) concentrations were high, the AOT values were also high. Further investigation of the relationship between AOT and PM composition SO42-, BC and other components, is recommended in future studies. Multivariate analysis between AOT, PM mass, PM composition and meteorological variables should also be conducted at different sites in Thailand and the region. |
| Year | 2011 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering (EV) |
| Chairperson(s) | Nguyen, Thi Kim Oanh; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Preeda Pakpian;Shipin, Oleg V.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government;Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2011 |