The Denver Aerosol Sources and Health (DASH) Study

Steve Dutton, Greg Brinkman, Teresa Coons, Mingjie Xie, Michael Hannigan, Shelly Miller, Jana Milford, Jennifer Peel, Sverre Vedal

DASH is a multi-year study analyzing PM_2.5 composition and health effects in the Denver-metro area. Five-years of daily samples were collected at Palmer Elementary School followed by an additional year of sixth day sampling at Palmer and three additional sites in Denver (ALS, EDI, DMAS). Filter sample analyses include gravimetric mass concentrations, EC/OC concentrations, organic speciation via GCMS, elemental concentrations, and ion concentrations. Source apportionment of measured organic species is one of ongoing assessments of the DASH study data.

The Colorado Coarse Rural-Urban Sources and Health (CCRUSH) Study

Nicholas Clements, Michael Hannigan, Shelly Miller, Jana Milford, Jennifer Peel, William Navidi, Zev Ross

The CCRUSH study has two main goals: (1) Characterize PM_10-2.5 and PM_2.5 total mass concentrations, semi-volatile mass concentrations, composition, toxicity, and sources in Denver and Greeley, CO; and (2) Perform an epidemiological study using mass concentration data from Denver and Greeley in order to compare health effects in urban and rural environments, respectively. To accomplish these goals an extensive three year sampling campaign took place from 2009-2012 at four monitoring sites, two in each city. The campaign included three years of continuous mass concentration monitoring with TEOM 1405-DF instruments and a single year of collecting filter samples every 6th day for composition and toxicity analysis. The CCRUSH study aims to be one of the most comprehensive studies of PM_10-2.5 to date.

Solar Panel Dust Deposition

Liza Boyle

Deposition of dust on solar panels can reduce energy collection efficiency, especially in arid and desert regions impacted by dust and dust storms. To assess the impact of dust deposition on solar panels in Colorado, an ongoing campaign of collecting dry deposition samples and measuring the reduction in light transmittance is being conducted at Alsup Elementary (ALS). 

BAO Tower Sampling/Vertical Aerosol Distributions

Tiffany Duhl, Siddarth Bhandari, Lamar Blackwell, Kyle Gustafson, Jenna Sobieray

Tiffany and her team of undergraduates are running an aerosol sampling campaign at the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory. The measurements will shed light on the seasonal and vertical variability of fine and coarse particulate matter. There is a special emphasis on characterizing the carbonaceous fraction of the aerosol, which is being analyzed for bulk organic and elemental carbon content and subjected to several dissolved organic matter analyses borrowed from the fields of aqueous and soil organic matter.