BACKGROUND

Communities surrounding airports have become increasingly aware of potential impacts to air quality and public health from airport operations. To help airports address the issue, ACRP Report 135: Understanding Airport Air Quality and Public Health Studies Related to Airports was published in 2015. The publication has been a valuable resource for airport practitioners who want to understand the science, uncertainties, and information gaps related to airport air quality and public health impacts. The publication provides an introduction to the topic, reviews ambient air quality standards and regulations, describes the state of knowledge, and summarizes the findings from numerous relevant studies. However, since the report’s publication, regulations and guidance have been updated, the science has continued to advance, and new areas of interest and research are being explored (e.g., ultra-fine particles, environmental justice, indoor air quality (including building material emissions), and benefits from new practices and technologies). As a result, an update to the report is needed. 

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to update ACRP Report 135: Understanding Airport Air Quality and Public Health Studies Related to Airports so that it includes the latest information on the impact of airport operations (e.g., aircraft, ground service equipment, ground transportation, and stationary sources) on air quality and public health to aid airport operators in responding to concerns about air quality at airports and in their vicinity.

The updated report should include (at a minimum) updates to:

1. The review and summary of publicly available relevant airport emissions, air quality (modeling and monitoring), and public health studies conducted in North America and Europe (and other regions if applicable). The summary should include, but not be limited to, describing each study’s purpose, research protocol, peer review status, airport specifics, airport activities and sources studied, airborne pollutants studied, available mitigation measures, health outcomes included, and study results;

2. The table (Appendix A) encapsulating the review including, at a minimum, the criteria identified above, to assist readers in identifying studies of interest; and

3. Updated synthesis and critique of relevant air quality regulations, the current body of knowledge, including lessons learned, based on the reviewed studies, addressing research methods, conclusions, and limitations.

Status

Research is complete.  Results published in ACRP Web-Only Document 62.