Influence of Oil and Gas End-Use on Summertime Particulate Matter and Ozone Pollution in the Eastern US

The influence of oil and gas end-use activities on ambient air quality is complex and understudied, particularly in regions where intensive end-use activities and large biogenic emissions of isoprene coincide. In these regions, vehicular emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x≡NO + NO₂) modulate the oxidative fate of isoprene, a biogenic precursor of the harmful air pollutants ozone, formaldehyde, and particulate matter (PM_2.5). Here, we investigate the direct and indirect influence of the end-use emissions on ambient air quality. To do so, we use the GEOS-Chem model with focus on the eastern United States (US) in summer. Regional mean end-use NO_x of 1.4 ppb suppresses isoprene secondary organic aerosol (OA) formation by just 0.02 μg m^–3 and enhances abundance of the carcinogen formaldehyde by 0.3 ppb. Formation of other reactive oxygenated volatile organic compounds is also enhanced, contributing to end-use maximum daily mean 8-h ozone (MDA8 O3) of 8 ppb. End-use PM_2.5 is mostly (67%) anthropogenic OA, followed by 20% secondary inorganic sulfate, nitrate and ammonium and 11% black carbon. These adverse effects on eastern US summertime air quality suggest potential for severe air quality degradation in regions like the tropics with year-round biogenic emissions, growing oil and gas end-use and limited environmental regulation.