Long-Term Trends in Total Suspended Participates, Vanadium, Manganese, and Lead at near Street Level and Elevated Sites in New York City

Abstract

Long-term concentration measurements of TSP, V, Pb, and Mn have been made in New York City. Three month moving averages have been constructed from integrated weekly data collected at the NYU Medical Center rooftop site from 1968-78. Rooftop vs. 1st floor concentration comparisons have been made at two locations for the periods 1968-70 and 1976-78. TSP, V, Pb and Mn have decreased in ambient concentration over the entire study. This reflects the controls incorporated on sources over the 10 yr period. The rooftop vs. 1st floor analyses have shown the influence of source distribution on concentration patterns. V levels showed no difference between the rooftop and 1st floor concentrations, which demonstrates the elevated nature of the sources and uniform mixing of material in the atmosphere. Pb, Mn, TSP, showed higher values at the ground, which would be indicative of ground level sources. During 1978, Mn and Pb increased throughout all (Pb) or part (Mn) of the year. The concentrations of these materials do not approach values which have been related to known health effects, although the present Pb values have exceeded the NAAQS