Exceptional Events Analysis of Wind-Blown Dust Impacts on PM in Arizona

In the state of Arizona, a combination of high winds and arid conditions can give rise to windblown dust storms that reduce visibility and degrade local air quality. These naturally occurring events can cause sudden, dramatic increases in local PM₁₀ concentrations measured by the U.S. EPA’s Air Quality System, resulting in violations of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.<br>
Sonoma Technology, along with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, analyzed PM₁₀ exceedance events suspected to have been caused by wind-blown dust. Sonoma Technology performed extensive meteorological and air quality analyses to assess whether the events satisfy the requirements of the EPA’s Exceptional Event Rule.