Air Quality Research Needs

The Southern Appalachian Assessment (SAMAB 1996c) identified the following research and monitoring needs for air quality:

• Increase monitoringof particulate matter, aerosol, acid deposition (including cloudwater and dry deposition), and ground-level ozone in the Southern Appalachians.
• Determinethe amount of damage to highly sensitive and moderately sensitive species caused by current exposures (both cumulative and number of hours greater than or equal to 0.10 ppm) found in the Southern Appalachians. Also, determine what impact ozone is having on fruit and nut production, and the extent of soil moisture effects on the openings in leaves (called stomates) so ozone can penetrate.
• Study further the economic impacts of air pollutantsin the Southern Appalachians, and the effect of regional meteorology on air pollution dispersal. Create an area-source database, to estimate pollution emissions from smaller point sources, mobile sources, etc., for states surrounding the Southern Appalachians.
• Develop a public participation process that assists with the definition of acceptable and unacceptable visibility conditions.
• Relate episodic acidification in streams with changes in biological populations. From onsite observations and experiments models are needed to determine dose-response relationships for aquatic biota.
• Evaluate the impact of continued sulfate deposition on the "delayed" acidification of streams as sulfate is released from soils once they become saturated.