13WRN Identifying Pollutant Sources in the El Paso Region

This research aims to identify pollutant sources using backward trajectories and dispersion simulated with the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT) developed by NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory, in the El Paso region from 2020 through 2024. The source-receptor analysis focuses on high PM_2.5 events (>20µg/m³), based on data collected by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Uncertainties in the analysis are characterized in a number of ways, including: (a) evaluation of the meteorological data used to drive the HYSPLIT by comparison against meteorological observations in the region; and (b) evaluating the sensitivity of results to different model inputs and configurations (e.g., meteorological data, starting height). On February 28 2024, a maximum daily value of PM_2.5 (111.9µg/m³) was registered, and a simulation was also performed with a computationally efficient particulate matter source apportionment algorithm (Particulate Source Apportionment Technology, PSAT) to identify sources for that day. Complementary data using High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) helped identify the sources of high PM_2.5 values from wildfires. This work is important to identify emission sources and apply proper control strategies in a region.