Global Estimates of Ambient Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations-全球PM2.5遥感反演.pdfVIP

Environmental Health Perspectives ? volume 118 | number 6 | June 2010 847 Research Chronic exposure to airborne fine particulate matter with diameter 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is associated with adverse human health impacts including morbidity and mortality (e.g., Dockery et al. 1993; McDonnell et al. 2000; Pope et al. 2009). Several national environ- mental agencies in North America and Europe monitor PM2.5 concentrations at numerous sites throughout their jurisdictions, but even these relatively dense networks have limited geographic coverage. Few long-term meas- urement sites exist elsewhere in the world, particularly in rapidly developing countries where concentrations and estimated health impacts are greatest (Cohen et al. 2004). Point measurements collected at monitoring sites are not necessarily representative of regional con- centration, and regional variability is difficult to assess from point measurements alone. In recent years, application of satellite observation to surface air quality has advanced considerably (Hoff and Christopher 2009; Martin 2008). In fact, global aerosol observations from satel- lite remote sensing could substantially improve estimates of population exposure to PM2.5. Since the mid 2000s, the MODIS (Moder- ate Resolution Imaging Spectro radiometer) and MISR (Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer) instruments onboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Terra satellite has provided global observations of aerosol optical depth (AOD), a measure of light extinction by aerosol in the atmospheric column above the earth’s surface. Terra’s sun-synchronous orbit encircles the earth approximately 15 times each day, with each pass crossing the equator at approximately 1030 hours local solar time. Observations of AOD from Terra provide daily insight into the global distribution of column-integrated aerosol. However, the applicability of AOD to surface air quality depends on several factors, incl