Study’s new phase measures Las Vegas urban haze

Dr. Judith Chow, Division of Atmospheric Sciences research professor, left, and Assistant Director Carrie MacDougall, of the Clark County Dept. of Air Quality Management, discuss air-sampling data at a mobile traffic survey site at Flamingo Road and Swenson Street near DRI’s Las Vegas campus. DRI, in conjunction with Clark County and the Federal Transit Administration, is collecting samples to determine sources of urban haze in Las Vegas air. Results of the project will allow air quality planners to improve their understanding of contributions from gasoline and diesel engines. Additionally, the data will tell how much these sources contribute to hazy days and let planners evaluate how differences between summer and winter fuels and operating conditions affect emission rates. Started in 1999, the project is part of the Southern Nevada Air Quality study that is being conducted in phases and aims to help determine how to improve air quality throughout southern Nevada.