Application of Atmospheric Gases and Particulate Matter to the Assessment of Urban Heat Island

Christian Mark Salvador; Pablo Fernandez; Kelsey Carter; Joanna Tannous; David Weston; Christopher DeRolph; Melanie A. Mayes

doi:10.1007/s44408-025-00020-2

Application of Atmospheric Gases and Particulate Matter to the Assessment of Urban Heat Island

Christian Mark Salvador, Pablo Fernandez, Kelsey Carter, Joanna Tannous, David Weston, Christopher DeRolph, Melanie A. Mayes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background Urban heat island (UHI), where built areas are warmer compared to non-urban regions, increases human related diseases and mortality. A key challenge in UHI analysis is the designation of sites as urban or suburban/rural; however, the growing complexity of green spaces in urban areas and the predominance of the transportation sector in nonurban areas creates a dilemma for distinct delineation. Objectives This study aims to utilize the variability of atmospheric components such as particulate matter (PM), inorganic gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as direct tracers of the degree of urbanization for ground-based measurements to fully comprehend UHI in convoluted regions with indistinct delineation of urban and nonurban environments. Methods Atmospheric gases and aerosols were used as direct tracers of urbanization for UHI analysis. Inorganic gases and particulate matter were monitored in two sites in a southeastern US city with varying degrees of urbanization. VOCs were analyzed using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results The more-urbanized site exhibited warmer night conditions and elevated total oxidant levels, leading to the formation of nanometer-sized particles. Machine learning analysis revealed similar atmospheric pollutant profiles for both sites, suggesting comparable sources and variability. Biogenic VOCs were enhanced at the less-urbanized site; however, levels of anthropogenic aromatic VOCs were comparable for both sites. A comprehensive mass spectra analysis revealed distinct molecular backbones per site that further affirmed the applicability of VOCs as indicators of urbanization. Conclusion This study concludes that VOCs provide more direct and accurate information than typical inorganic gases and PM parameters for characterizing the degree of urbanization. Further exploration of VOCs can enhance our understanding of UHI dynamics and its interaction with vegetation in urban green spaces.

Original language	English
Article number	15
Journal	Aerosol and Air Quality Research
Volume	25
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s44408-025-00020-2
State	Published - May 2025

Funding

This research was supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research Environment Systems Science program and the Early Career Scientist Award to Joanna Tannous, funded by the ORNL’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-BATTELLE, LLC for the US DOE under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. Pablo Fernandez’s internship at ORNL was sponsored by the Mentorship for Environmental Scholars Program (MES), a collaboration between Pre-College University and the DOE. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract no. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-publicaccessplan ).

Keywords

Air quality sensor
Non-negative matrix factorization
Urban heat islands
Urban measurements

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10.1007/s44408-025-00020-2

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title = "Application of Atmospheric Gases and Particulate Matter to the Assessment of Urban Heat Island",

abstract = "Background Urban heat island (UHI), where built areas are warmer compared to non-urban regions, increases human related diseases and mortality. A key challenge in UHI analysis is the designation of sites as urban or suburban/rural; however, the growing complexity of green spaces in urban areas and the predominance of the transportation sector in nonurban areas creates a dilemma for distinct delineation. Objectives This study aims to utilize the variability of atmospheric components such as particulate matter (PM), inorganic gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as direct tracers of the degree of urbanization for ground-based measurements to fully comprehend UHI in convoluted regions with indistinct delineation of urban and nonurban environments. Methods Atmospheric gases and aerosols were used as direct tracers of urbanization for UHI analysis. Inorganic gases and particulate matter were monitored in two sites in a southeastern US city with varying degrees of urbanization. VOCs were analyzed using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results The more-urbanized site exhibited warmer night conditions and elevated total oxidant levels, leading to the formation of nanometer-sized particles. Machine learning analysis revealed similar atmospheric pollutant profiles for both sites, suggesting comparable sources and variability. Biogenic VOCs were enhanced at the less-urbanized site; however, levels of anthropogenic aromatic VOCs were comparable for both sites. A comprehensive mass spectra analysis revealed distinct molecular backbones per site that further affirmed the applicability of VOCs as indicators of urbanization. Conclusion This study concludes that VOCs provide more direct and accurate information than typical inorganic gases and PM parameters for characterizing the degree of urbanization. Further exploration of VOCs can enhance our understanding of UHI dynamics and its interaction with vegetation in urban green spaces.",

keywords = "Air quality sensor, Non-negative matrix factorization, Urban heat islands, Urban measurements",

author = "Salvador, \{Christian Mark\} and Pablo Fernandez and Kelsey Carter and Joanna Tannous and David Weston and Christopher DeRolph and Mayes, \{Melanie A.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = may,

doi = "10.1007/s44408-025-00020-2",

language = "English",

volume = "25",

journal = "Aerosol and Air Quality Research",

issn = "1680-8584",

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T1 - Application of Atmospheric Gases and Particulate Matter to the Assessment of Urban Heat Island

AU - Salvador, Christian Mark

AU - Fernandez, Pablo

AU - Carter, Kelsey

AU - Tannous, Joanna

AU - Weston, David

AU - DeRolph, Christopher

AU - Mayes, Melanie A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025/5

Y1 - 2025/5

N2 - Background Urban heat island (UHI), where built areas are warmer compared to non-urban regions, increases human related diseases and mortality. A key challenge in UHI analysis is the designation of sites as urban or suburban/rural; however, the growing complexity of green spaces in urban areas and the predominance of the transportation sector in nonurban areas creates a dilemma for distinct delineation. Objectives This study aims to utilize the variability of atmospheric components such as particulate matter (PM), inorganic gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as direct tracers of the degree of urbanization for ground-based measurements to fully comprehend UHI in convoluted regions with indistinct delineation of urban and nonurban environments. Methods Atmospheric gases and aerosols were used as direct tracers of urbanization for UHI analysis. Inorganic gases and particulate matter were monitored in two sites in a southeastern US city with varying degrees of urbanization. VOCs were analyzed using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results The more-urbanized site exhibited warmer night conditions and elevated total oxidant levels, leading to the formation of nanometer-sized particles. Machine learning analysis revealed similar atmospheric pollutant profiles for both sites, suggesting comparable sources and variability. Biogenic VOCs were enhanced at the less-urbanized site; however, levels of anthropogenic aromatic VOCs were comparable for both sites. A comprehensive mass spectra analysis revealed distinct molecular backbones per site that further affirmed the applicability of VOCs as indicators of urbanization. Conclusion This study concludes that VOCs provide more direct and accurate information than typical inorganic gases and PM parameters for characterizing the degree of urbanization. Further exploration of VOCs can enhance our understanding of UHI dynamics and its interaction with vegetation in urban green spaces.

AB - Background Urban heat island (UHI), where built areas are warmer compared to non-urban regions, increases human related diseases and mortality. A key challenge in UHI analysis is the designation of sites as urban or suburban/rural; however, the growing complexity of green spaces in urban areas and the predominance of the transportation sector in nonurban areas creates a dilemma for distinct delineation. Objectives This study aims to utilize the variability of atmospheric components such as particulate matter (PM), inorganic gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as direct tracers of the degree of urbanization for ground-based measurements to fully comprehend UHI in convoluted regions with indistinct delineation of urban and nonurban environments. Methods Atmospheric gases and aerosols were used as direct tracers of urbanization for UHI analysis. Inorganic gases and particulate matter were monitored in two sites in a southeastern US city with varying degrees of urbanization. VOCs were analyzed using a proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Results The more-urbanized site exhibited warmer night conditions and elevated total oxidant levels, leading to the formation of nanometer-sized particles. Machine learning analysis revealed similar atmospheric pollutant profiles for both sites, suggesting comparable sources and variability. Biogenic VOCs were enhanced at the less-urbanized site; however, levels of anthropogenic aromatic VOCs were comparable for both sites. A comprehensive mass spectra analysis revealed distinct molecular backbones per site that further affirmed the applicability of VOCs as indicators of urbanization. Conclusion This study concludes that VOCs provide more direct and accurate information than typical inorganic gases and PM parameters for characterizing the degree of urbanization. Further exploration of VOCs can enhance our understanding of UHI dynamics and its interaction with vegetation in urban green spaces.

KW - Air quality sensor

KW - Non-negative matrix factorization

KW - Urban heat islands

KW - Urban measurements

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008003548

U2 - 10.1007/s44408-025-00020-2

DO - 10.1007/s44408-025-00020-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105008003548

SN - 1680-8584

VL - 25

JO - Aerosol and Air Quality Research

JF - Aerosol and Air Quality Research

IS - 5

M1 - 15

ER -

Application of Atmospheric Gases and Particulate Matter to the Assessment of Urban Heat Island

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