Ambient Measurements of Local NJ Brush Fire Show Increased Particle Concentrations
McNeill Group students took some ambient aerosol measurements yesterday morning, to observe any effects that the brush fire in Wheaton State Forest had on outside particle concentrations.
Our data show a nearly eight-fold increase of ambient aerosols earlier in the morning compared to the afternoon, indicating observed particles from the fire that decreased over the course of the day, as the fire was contained and emitted particles were allowed to dissipate.
Between the morning and afternoon, a shift in the ambient aerosol particle size distribution was also observed. Larger particles were observed in the morning, contributing the bulk of the observed mass and leading to decreased visibility in the area due to scattering of light.
