Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds in Boulder, Colorado, During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Abstract:

Lockdowns related to the global spread of COVID-19 have resulted in drastic changes in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions across multiple sectors. These changes not only provide a test case to investigate the relationship between sources and observed emissions but also give insights into what a future atmosphere could reflect with respect to, for example, reduced automobile emissions. The lockdowns also have the potential for larger contributions of emissions from Volatile Chemical Products (VCPs) and indoor sources, which may not have been highly affected. To investigate these effects, a field study was conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder over the course of the local lockdown, March 15, 2020 – May 27, 2020. A Vocus PTR-TOF sampled on the campus and supplemental data related to local traffic, meteorology, and ground based measurements in the area were collected. Interest is focused on looking at the trends in vehicle emission tracers for the local area against traffic data. The relative contributions from automotive emissions and VCP products will also be investigated to see how the two shifted relative to one another over the course of the lockdown. Additionally, there is interest in the potential for new observations given the low detection limit of the Vocus PTR-TOF and the unique atmospheric picture presented over the lockdown.