US particulate matter air quality improves except in wildfire-prone areas.

ABSTRACT: Using data from rural monitoring sites across the contiguous United States, we evaluated fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) trends for 1988-2016. We calculate trends in the policy-relevant 98th quantile of PM_2.5 using Quantile Regression. We use Kriging and Gaussian Geostatistical Simulations to interpolate trends between observed data points. Overall, we found positive trends in 98th quantile PM_2.5 at sites within the Northwest United States (average 0.21 ± 0.12 µg·m^-3·y^-1; ±95% confidence interval). This was in contrast with sites throughout the rest of country, which showed a negative trend in 98th quantile PM_2.5, likely due to reductions in anthropogenic emissions (average -0.66 ± 0.10 µg·m^-3·y^-1). The

SUBMITTER: McClure CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6077721 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature