Tong generating data for criteria air pollutants for the 750 largest US cities

Daniel Tong, Associate Professor, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, received $33,600 from New York University for a project in which Mason researchers will work with NYU researchers to generate census tract-level data for criteria air pollutants for the 750 largest cities in the United States. The data will be generated through fusing datasets from observations and computer model prediction.

Criteria air pollutants are particulate matter, photochemical oxidants, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) terms these contaminants criteria air pollutants because it sets national air quality standards based on characterizations of the latest scientific information regarding how these substances affect health and welfare.

Funding for this work began in December 2020 and will conclude in December 2021.

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