Cultivando Commerce City Air Quality Study

Mid Year Progress Report

June 2022

Lisa Darby, Gabe Greenberg, Jacques Hueber, Ryan

Daly, Sue Simoncic, Kat Potter, Gunnar Schade,
Detlev Helmig

Prepared August 24, 2022

Boulder A.I.R.

Please note that all data and interpretations are preliminary.

 Study Component Details Status - Begin of Operation

Monitoring Program Fixed Site Monitoring

Meteorology

Components and
Wind Speed December 2021
Wind Direction December 2021
Temperature December 2021

Implementation
Radiation December 2021

Gases
Methane January 2022
Carbon Monoxide January 2022
Carbon Dioxide January 2022
Nitrogen Oxide January 2022
Nitrogen Dioxide January 2022
Sulfur Dioxide January 2022
Hydrogen Sulfide January 2022
Ozone January 2022
Volatile Organic Compounds March 2022
Radiocativity August 2022

Particles
PM2.5 January 2022
PM10 January 2022
Particulate Radioactivity anticipated August 2022
Purple Air PM2.5 March 2022

Mobile Site Monitoring

Meteorology
Wind Speed February 2022
Wind Direction February 2022
Temperature February 2022
Humidity February 2022

Gases
Methane February 2022
Nitrogen Oxide February 2022
Nitrogen Dioxide February 2022
Volatile Organic Compounds February 2022

Dispersion Modeling
April 2022

Website Development

https://www.bouldair.com/commerce_city.htm January 2022

Community Monitoring Volatile Organic Compounds

Purple Air March 2022

Radiello Samplers March 2022
Summa Canisters anticipated August 2022
Site Maps
Boulder AIR Monitoring Sites
 Boulder AIR Network

Each air monitoring site in the Boulder AIR network is denoted by a 3-letter abbreviation. In
Commerce City, Boulder AIR is currently operating two sites:
CCF: Commerce City Fixed, which is stationary,
and
CCM: Commerce City Mobile site (CCM),
which moves around Commerce City recording air quality from different locations.

Other site locations and site abbreviation codes are indicated on the preceding slide.
 New Location as
of August 2022

Suncor and affiliated area

CCF at first
Location
Meteorology Section
 CCF Wind Rose, Daytime versus Nighttime
- very different wind preferences -

Meters/Second Meters/Second

‘Day’ time is from 8 am to 7:59 pm ‘Night’ time is from 8 pm to 7:59 am.

Average Day-Nighttime Changes in Surface Winds
(Direction and Speed) at CCF
Methane Section
Methane and CCF Compared to Other Network Sites
(5 min data)
 Methane and CCF and CCM Compared to Other Network Sites

All data After removal of the 5% highest data

95 percentile

75 percentile

Mean

Median

25 percentile

5 percentile

Note that the horizontal borders of the whiskers exclude the 5% lowest and highest data, which each account to close
to nine days (200 hours) of observations over a 6-months period.
 Methane and CCF and CCM Compared to Other Network Sites

All data After removal of the 5% highest data

LUR has the highest number of extremely high values. CCF has the highest mean, median 75th, 95th percentile methane
of all sites.
Methane and CCF Compared to Other Network Sites
‘Day’ time is from 8 am to 7:59 pm ‘Night’ time is from 8 pm to 7:59 am.
Dependence of Methane on Wind Speed and Wind Direction
Carbon Monoxide
Section
 Carbon Monoxide at CCF (5 min data)

The carbon monoxide National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) is 35,000 ppb for the one-hour average, and
9,000 ppb for the 8-hour average. The CCF monitoring data remained well below that threshold at all times.
 Dependence of Carbon Monoxide on Wind Speed and Wind Direction

There is a much stronger carbon monoxide source to the south of the CCF station than from west to east.
Hydrogen Sulfide
Section
H2S Com-
parison
CCF with
BSE (1-min
data)
H2S
Comparison
CCF with BSE
 Range of
reported
lower odor
threshold

‘Day’ time is from 8 am to 7:59 pm ‘Night’ time is from 8 pm to 7:59 am.

 H2S Comparison CCF with BSE

H2S was approx. more than 10% of the time (20 days, > 400 hours) above the odor threshold for sensitive people.
 Dependence of H2S on Wind Speed and Wind Direction

There seem to be several hydrogen sulfide sources. A very strong one is to the southwest. This source is prominent during all wind speed conditions, indicating
that it probably is near the ground. There are other sources to the south and southeast. Those seem to be more prominent during high wind conditions, which
likely indicates that these emissions result from stacks that are well above the surface.
 Dependence of H2S on Wind Speed and Wind Direction

All Data Winter Data

There appear to be several distinct H2S sources. One to the southwest and one to the south. The source to the south is
unusual in that it is strongest at highest winds, which may indicate downwash from emissions from a stack. The source to
the west shows a much different behavior with highest levels at low winds, likely indicating a surface source.
Elevated Hydrogen Sulfide by Time of Day
Sulfur Dioxide
Section
 Sulfur Dioxide at CCF (1 min data)

The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide is 75 ppb for 1-hour averaged data. There
were no exceedances of the NAAQS for SO2.
 Dependence of Sulfur Dioxide on Wind Speed and Wind Direction

Similar to the source of H2S to the south, the higher concentrations seen during higher winds likely indicate emissions from a
stack washing down to the surface at higher winds.
Nitrogen Oxides
Section
 Nitrogen Oxides at CCF and other Network Sites (1 min data)

The National Ambient Air Quality Standard for nitrogen oxides is 100 ppb for a 1 -hour running averaging time.
There are many spikes were NOx exceeds 100 ppb for short time periods. The analysis of 1-hour averaged data is
shown on the next slide.
 Nitrogen Dioxide 1-Hour Means

This shows the NO2 data averaged to 1-hour values. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) that is set at 100 ppb
was not exceeded during this time window. The 98th percentile value of these data (used by the EPA to gauge compliance with
the NAAQS) is 40.95 ppb, less than half of the NAAQS.
‘Day’ time is from 8 am to 7:59 pm ‘Night’ time is from 8 pm to 7:59 am.
NOx as a Function of Wind Speed and Wind Direction
Particulate Matter
Section
Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) at CCF (1-min data)
12 µg/m³ National
Ambient Air Quality
Standard Annual Mean
8 µg/m³ proposed
National Ambient
Air Quality Standard
Annual Mean
‘Day’ time is from 8 am to 7:59 pm ‘Night’ time is from 8 pm to 7:59 am.
This shows the PM2.5 data averaged as running 24-hour mean. The NAAQS, set at 35 µg/m³, was not exceeded during
the observation period despite the high frequency of highly elevated, but relatively short duration concentration spikes.
VOC Section
Benzene at CCF, and other Network Sites
(10-min data once every hour)
 Benzene at CCF, CCM, and other Network Sites

All data After removal of 5% of the highest data

Benzene levels at the two Commerce City sites are about two to three times those measured at the other monitoring
stations.
The red dashed line
indicates the .49
ppb World Health
Organization 1 in
100,000 excess
lifetime cancer risk
value from exposure
to benzene.
 The red dashed line
indicates the .49
ppb World Health
Organization 1 in
100,000 Excess
Lifetime Risk Value
from exposure to
benzene.

‘Day’ time is from 8am to 7:59pm ‘Night’ time is from 8pm to 7:59am
High benzene spikes mostly occur during nighttime when winds are from the south. Here we use a 0.9 ppb threshold
value, which is the California Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment Risk Exposure Chronic Limit for
Noncancer Effects.
Dependence of Benzene on Wind Direction and Wind Speed

Benzene has a clear, dominating source to the south of the monitoring station.
Dependence of
Benzene on Wind
Direction and
Wind Speed –
Diurnal Changes
Ethane at CCF at other Network Sites
(10-min data once every hour)
Dependence of Ethane and Propane on Wind Direction and Wind Speed
- Very Different Sources -
 Possible Sources of Propane

There are strong propane emissions sources to the east and

south. The red circles show potential operations/businesses.
Website
Project Website Screenshot