NARSTO SHEMP: Air Particulate Matter Composition in Canada, 2000-2002

From February 14, 2000 to August 1, 2002, daily air samples were collected in Toronto and Vancouver to study the chemical composition of PM 2.5 and co-pollutants. The study, led by the Meteorological Service of Canada, aimed to investigate sources, formation, and potential health effects of fine particles. Data includes particle size, chemical content, and the presence of gaseous co-pollutants like NO2 and O3.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between PM 2.5 chemical composition and health effects based on the study's stated hypothesis.
• Identifying pollution sources (e.g., vehicle exhaust, wood burning) based on specific indicator chemicals mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing the contribution of semi-volatile organic compounds to particulate mass, as referenced in the study design.
• Investigating the co-occurrence and behavior of PM 2.5 with gaseous pollutants like NO2 and O3 in urban settings.

Strengths

• Data collected daily over a 2-3 year period, providing a temporal series.
• Samples from two major Canadian cities (Toronto and Vancouver) allow for geographic comparison.
• Analysis includes particle size, chemical content, and gaseous co-pollutants, offering a multi-faceted view of air quality.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• A small number of samples were used for source apportionment and semi-volatile compound analysis, which may limit the generalizability of those specific results.

Provenance

Source

Meteorological Service of Canada (Air Quality Research Branch), with collaborators including the University of Toronto and environmental agencies.

Collection Method

Field measurement studies involving daily air sample collection at sites in Toronto and Vancouver, with subsequent chemical and size analysis.

Time Range

2000-02 14 to 2002-08-01

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:57:23.552062; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Toronto and Vancouver, Canada