Long Island measurements reveal household products and buildings as major summer pollution sources
Products such as hairspray, paint and household disinfectants are increasingly causing summertime air pollution—and cities aren't accounting for it, which makes it harder to issue air quality advisories and enact regulations, new research from Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota and Purdue University shows.
A recent study reveals that household products and buildings contribute significantly to summertime air pollution in urban areas, a fact that current models fail to account for. Researchers from Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota and Purdue University found volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—emitted by items like hairspray, paint and disinfectants—were among the top sources of summertime air pollution in an urban Long Island area.
These sources, which also include building materials, were not accurately included in current air quality models. The study, published in Science Advances, used a technique called "eddy covariance" and machine learning tools to directly measure emission rates of various pollutants. The findings suggest that as temperatures rise due to heat waves and climate change, these VOC emissions are likely to increase, posing a growing challenge for urban air quality management.
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