Air Quality in Puerto Rico in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria: A Case Study on the Use of Lower Cost Air Quality Monitors

• Published in: ACS earth and space chemistry 2018-11, Vol.2 (11), p.1179-1186
• Main Authors: Subramanian, R, Ellis, Aja, Torres-Delgado, Elvis, Tanzer, Rebecca, Malings, Carl, Rivera, Felipe, Morales, Maité, Baumgardner, Darrel, Presto, Albert, Mayol-Bracero, Olga L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2472-3452; 2472-3452
• DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00079

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, the electricity grid in Puerto Rico was devastated, with over 90% of the island without electricity; as of December 2017, about 50% of the island lacked electricity and power outages were common elsewhere. Backup generators were widely used, sometimes as the main source of electricity. The hurricane also damaged the island’s existing air monitoring network and the University of Puerto Rico’s observing facilities. We deployed four lower cost air quality monitors [real-time affordable multi-pollutant (RAMP) monitors] and a black carbon (BC) monitor in the San Juan Metro Area in November 2017. The first month of data collected with the RAMPs showed high sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations of varying magnitudes each night. SO2 and CO are strongly correlated (r 2 > 0.9) at two sites ∼5 km apart (University of Puerto RicoRio Piedras and an industrial area, Puerto Nuevo), suggesting a single source type. BC measured at the UPR site is also well-correlated with CO and SO2. While the RAMPs are not certified as a federal equivalent method, the RAMP SO2 data suggest that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)’s daily 1 h threshold for SO2 (75 ppb) was exceeded on almost 80% of the first 30 days of deployment (November–December 2017). The widespread reliance on generators for regular electric supply in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria appears to have increased air pollution in San Juan.