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Changes in Aerosol Loading and Composition in Atlanta Driven by Changes in Anthropogenic Emissions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Year Funded: 2021
  • Principal Investigators: Nga Lee (Sally) Ng (Georgia Institute of Technology)
  • Co-Principal Investigators: Jennifer Kaiser (Georgia Institute of Technology)
  • Programs: AC4 Funded Project, COM Funded Project

The overall goal of the proposed project is to analyze a comprehensive suite of measurements conducted in urban Atlanta during 2020 to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 containment efforts on the emissions and fates of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as organic aerosol loading and composition in urban environments. The southeastern United States is characterized by intense biogenic-anthropogenic interactions, where a large fraction of secondary organic aerosol is from natural sources (biogenic) but modulated by human-caused (anthropogenic) pollutants. Results from this study will provide new insights into how reduced anthropogenic emissions influence organic aerosol loading and composition in the region, as emissions continue to decrease in the future with mitigation strategies. Further, comprehensive and long-term (spanning multiple seasons) measurements will allow for thorough characterization of pandemic impacts on atmospheric composition in urban environments with intense biogenic emissions.

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