Characterization of BTEX species at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Continuous Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) sites in Houston, Texas, USA during 2018

Authors

Amit U. Raysoni, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Sai Deepak Pinakana, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
August Luna, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Esmeralda Mendez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, University of Texas at El Paso

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-2025

Abstract

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere negatively impact human and environmental health. Various sources of VOCs include gasoline evaporation, solvent usage, traffic, etc. A dataset 1-year (2018) consisting of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m, p, and o-xylenes) concentrations in Houston, Texas, was analyzed to understand the spatial trends and sources of BTEX in the region. This study assesses 24-hour data concentrations from the Continuous Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) operated by the TCEQ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in Houston. Spatial variations of the BTEX species across the various TCEQ CAMS sites were determined using multiple statistical analyses, including Coefficients of Divergence (COD), Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and ANOVA Tukey’s test, while the BTEX interspecies ratios were calculated for further inter- and intra-urban exposure characterization. Ozone Forming Potential (OFP) was also calculated to analyze the role of VOCs in the formation of tropospheric ozone and to understand the role of VOCs in OFP in multiple seasons. OFP was higher in colder months than in other seasons of the year. Toluene exhibited greater concentrations with emission sources related to vehicular traffic emissions. The sites near the cluster of refineries were observed to have higher BTEX concentrations than others in Houston, Texas. These findings could help formulate targeted emission reduction strategies, for overall VOC levels in Houston, Texas.

Comments

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Raysoni, Amit U., Sai Deepak Pinakana, August Luna, Esmeralda Mendez, and Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia. "Characterization of BTEX species at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Continuous Ambient Monitoring Station (CAMS) sites in Houston, Texas, USA during 2018." Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment (2025): 100227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scenv.2025.100227

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Publication Title

Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.scenv.2025.100227