|
El Puente High School |
|
Sampling Objective (e.g. Why you are sampling and what you hope to learn)
We will be testing for ozone. We hope to learn under what conditions ozone is produced the most. Our hypothesis is that after rush hour on hot days, the ozone level will increase in area where there is high traffic when there is not a lot of wind. The reason we predict this is that ozone is produced from the combination of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, both primary pollutants of cars, in the presence of sunlight. Because ozone is a secondary pollutant, it takes a little time before it forms-therefore, if it is too windy, the ozone may be blown away while it is forming. With this reasoning, we expect that ozone levels will correlate with temperature but not with wind. Or in other words, we expect to find high levels of ozone on hot, still days.
What parameters are you sampling for? (e.g. N02, CO, C02)
We will be sampling for NOx, HCs, O3, temperature, wind speed and direction.
Describe the Method of Data Collection - (Include the frequency, duration and location of monitoring.)
We will monitor for ozone from 8 AM in the morning until about 3 PM in the afternoon, this way we will hit rush hour traffic but also allow enough time for the ozone to form in the presence of the afternoon sunlight. We choose to monitor at the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge where traffic often gets backed up during rush hour. We will have to monitor at least four times, two days when it is hot and still, and two days when it is hot and windy.
Explain how you will establish background levels of sampling parameters.
We will establish background levels of sampling parameters by testing for ozone on cooler Spring days in areas where there is no traffic.