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Indy’s air quality is known to have negative health impacts on those with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. PM2.5, a component of the Air Quality Index (AQI), often exceeds WHO health standards in Indianapolis, contributing to these problems. PM2.5 can come from manmade sources such as construction sites, smokestacks, car exhaust pipes, roads, vehicles, and combustion processes. Natural occurrences like wildfires, volcanoes, dust storms, and sandstorms also contribute to high PM2.5 levels. Learn more about PM2.5, AQI, and their health impacts in our previous post on air quality.
Fortunately, companies and manufacturers are required to report their emissions of specific air pollutants and toxic substances. Modeling can then be used to track these emissions and their movement through the atmosphere in surrounding areas. Thanks to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) requirements for emissions reporting, Indiana residents can easily see what is polluting their air and where it’s coming from.
These pollutant emission reporting regulations are delegated by the EPA to state departments. Thus, in Indiana, IDEM oversees this. Indiana companies follow the Emission Reporting Rule in the Indiana Administrative Code which states that the amounts of the five principal pollutants included in the AQI must be reported. These pollutants are carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), and ground-level ozone. For emissions reporting, in place of ground-level ozone, volatile organic compounds are reported, as they react in the air to become ozone. Lead released to the air must also be reported.
The reports with these measurements are then used to determine compliance with regulatory programs, implementation plans, and rulemaking, such as those linked in IDEM’s Emissions Reporting website. The reports for companies in Indiana are also made accessible to the public on the website. Thanks to these reports, we know a majority of what is being discharged into the air in Indiana and can track emissions of manufacturers. This only tracks how much of each pollutant is being discharged into the atmosphere. To see where it goes in the atmosphere, air dispersion modeling must be utilized.
One way to use air dispersion modeling is through software created by the EPA to estimate concentrations of pollutants in the air or track the particle deposition of pollutants. The output of this program is a map that shows the range of concentrations/deposition over all areas surrounding the source of the pollution. The program works by using mathematical formulas, emissions data, weather data, and land characterization data to estimate the dispersion of the pollutant. The modeling can be used to evaluate the impacts from existing sources or to predict the outcome of future emissions.
Modeling can be conducted for regulatory purposes, policy support, and source culpability. This IDEM website lists the standards for which air quality modeling must be used. The EPA often conducts the modeling; however, other companies have full access to the EPA’s software on their Support Center for Regulatory Atmospheric Modeling (SCRAM) website. Mundell offers air dispersion modeling services for companies that require permitting or need to meet emissions standards.
Air quality monitoring, emissions reports, and dispersion modeling are great methods of tracking the pollutants released into the air in the effort to protect environmental and human health. If your company is in need of modeling services for planned or preexisting sources of these emissions, contact us to discuss your project.
More resources
Indiana Emissions Reporting: IDEM’s website that has options to view a reports summary and lists of reports from manufacturers and industrial companies in Indiana from each year. You can also see what rules manufacturers must follow with regard to reporting in Indiana.
IDEM Air Modeling Site: Use this website for a brief explanation of air modeling vs air monitoring, a list of all the standards air modeling should be used to support in Indiana, and a list of links to the data and software needed to perform air modeling.
Contact Us: Email or call us with any air dispersion modeling requests you may have.
