Use of light-extinction method and inverse modeling to study aerosols in the Paso del Norte Airshed

A light-extinction technique for monitoring aerosols was used in conjunction with a robust inverse reconstruction model to retrieve aerosol size distribution. Results for the columnar aerosol size distribution for the Paso del Norte Airshed for two different pollution scenarios and at two different seasons were presented. These are well correlated with experimental surface aerosol data for this region. It was observed that, for the clean day scenario, the summer case showed a greater columnar concentration of smaller size aerosols than the winter case. Results for the columnar aerosol size distribution in the polluted day scenario demonstrated that the concentration of aerosols were greater in the summer than in the winter. In addition, HYSPLIT backward trajectories were used to identify pollution sources.

► A method using MFRSR and a robust model to retrieve aerosol size is presented. ► The method was applied to a complex interface region, the Paso del Norte. ► This research will permit an evaluation of air pollution control measures. ► The aerosol size selected for this research is known to be harmful to health.