Southern Research Institute (SRI), Birmingham, AL, is operating a research station in North Birmingham for monitoring fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that exists in that part of the Deep South. The station will be a core PM2.5 mass monitoring and chemical speciation station in the nationwide EPA PM2.5 network. As such, it will be a complement and supplement to DOE-NETL's other ongoing projects for monitoring fine particulate matter in the upper Ohio River valley. Locating additional monitoring equipment in the Deep South will fill an important gap in the national particulate monitoring effort. The region's topography, weather patterns, and variety of emission sources may affect the chemical make-up and airborne transport of fine particles in ways that are different than in other parts of the country. The project's results will support DOE's comprehensive program to evaluate ambient fine particulate matter through better understanding of the chemical and physical properties of these materials.

Equipment to be installed at the North Birmingham station includes continuous monitors for particle size distribution (0.2 to 10 microns), organic and elemental carbon, ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate levels. SRI researchers will use these continuous measurements to support integrated (filter-based) sample results to obtain a better understanding of PM composition, and to support subsequent studies that locate emission sources, time/transport properties, and management strategies for fine particulate emissions in the region.

Supplementing NETL's funding support are SRI's collaborative relationships with the local Jefferson County Health Department, the EPA, and the Electric Power Research Institute/Southern Company Southeastern Aerosol Research and Characterization (SEARCH) project. Data from this station will augment data from other monitoring and analysis efforts such as the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) program at national park sites, and the Southern Oxidant Study (SOS).