Denver Air Toxics Gradient Case Study

ARS partnered with the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) to design, install and operate three field campaigns to study air toxics gradients along a residential section of Interstate 70. ARS collected air samples with a large network of SUMMA ® canisters and used a contract laboratory to analyze the samples following EPA’s Compendium Method TO-15. Each monitoring site was solar powered, used a dataloggers to collect diagnostics and trigger events, and was capable of operating two canisters on different collection frequencies. ARS also operated personal aethalometers at a number of the sites to monitor black carbon concentrations.

The study results will help DDPHE make decisions related to pending I-70 modifications, and a future study, once the modifications are complete, is anticipated.