Abstract
South Florida enjoys the reputation of being the cruise capital of the world, for it has two of the busiest cruise ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, respectively. Cruise ships, while bringing tremendous recreational pleasure, emit substantial quantities of gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, and aerosols that pose health risks for the public, especially to those in the elder and sensitive groups. This study attempts to understand the impact of ship emissions on the regional air quality in South Florida. Specifically, the distributions of high and low cruise seasons, as well as heavy and light emission days, are assessed based on cruise port schedules. The levels of key air pollutants, which are obtained from air monitoring databases, appear to display some associations with the cruise seasons and the ship emission amounts. Wind analysis demonstrates the impact of ship emissions relative to other emission sources, such as automobiles. These patterns are compared with those in other regions with cruise ports. The possibility of ship emissions causing public health concerns in South Florida is also discussed.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Song Gao
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-12-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2013 5:30 PM
Evaluating the Impact of Cruise Ship Emissions on the Air Quality in South Florida
Alvin Sherman Library
South Florida enjoys the reputation of being the cruise capital of the world, for it has two of the busiest cruise ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, respectively. Cruise ships, while bringing tremendous recreational pleasure, emit substantial quantities of gases, such as nitrogen dioxide, and aerosols that pose health risks for the public, especially to those in the elder and sensitive groups. This study attempts to understand the impact of ship emissions on the regional air quality in South Florida. Specifically, the distributions of high and low cruise seasons, as well as heavy and light emission days, are assessed based on cruise port schedules. The levels of key air pollutants, which are obtained from air monitoring databases, appear to display some associations with the cruise seasons and the ship emission amounts. Wind analysis demonstrates the impact of ship emissions relative to other emission sources, such as automobiles. These patterns are compared with those in other regions with cruise ports. The possibility of ship emissions causing public health concerns in South Florida is also discussed.
