Journal
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
Volume 110, Issue -, Pages 144-150Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.03.056
Keywords
Hydraulic fracturing; Ethane; Natural gas
Funding
- Maryland Department of the Environment [U00P4400742]
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Air Quality Applied Sciences Team [NNX12AI18G]
- National Science Foundation [CBET-1438400]
- NASA [21475, NNX12AI18G] Funding Source: Federal RePORTER
- Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys
- Directorate For Engineering [1438400] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Over the past decade, concentrations of many anthropogenic pollutants have been successfully reduced, improving air quality. However, a new influx of emissions associated with hydraulic fracturing and shale natural gas operations could be counteracting some of these benefits. Using hourly measurements from Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) in the Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC areas, we observed that following a period of decline, daytime ethane concentrations have increased significantly since 2010, growing from similar to 7% of total measured nonmethane organic carbon to similar to 15% in 2013. This trend appears to be linked with the rapidly increasing natural gas production in upwind, neighboring states, especially Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Ethane concentrations failed to display this trend at a PAMS site outside of Atlanta, GA, a region without new widespread natural gas operations. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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