What Pollutants are in My Air: Source Characterization and Temporal Variability of Outdoor Volatile Organic Compound Exposure in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Author

• Jaimie Beth Ritchie, University of New MexicoFollow

Publication Date

Summer 7-28-2026

Abstract

The overarching research objective of my master’s thesis is to analyze exposure, sources, and temporal variability of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) measurements in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. In the summer of 2021, a new special-purpose air quality monitoring site, the San Jose Site, was installed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The location: a region of Albuquerque known as the South Valley, where the population is 80% Hispanic and 24% low income. The goal: to monitor concentrations of VOCs in ambient air. The reason: to address air quality pollution concerns of the community, as expressed by their Title VI complaints to the EPA in 2014 and 2024. The knowledge gap: even in places where VOCs are measured, sources are not often determined, which is prohibitive to implementing effective mitigation techniques. This thesis addresses the following research objectives: (a) to quantify the detection frequency and concentrations of VOC pollutants in Albuquerque, NM; (b) to identify potential sources contributing to the presence of those pollutants; and (c) to analyze the temporal variability of those identified sources. The results have implications for local rules and regulations, and have been shared with the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board.

Keywords

VOC concentrations, Environmental justice, Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), Positive matrix factorization (PMF), Diurnal and seasonal variability, Wind rose

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Civil Engineering

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Civil Engineering

First Committee Member (Chair)

Dr. Anjali Mulchandani

Second Committee Member

Dr. Patrick Hudson

Third Committee Member

Dr. Joseph Galewsky

Fourth Committee Member

Dr. Ricardo González-Pinzón

Recommended Citation

Ritchie, Jaimie Beth. "What Pollutants are in My Air: Source Characterization and Temporal Variability of Outdoor Volatile Organic Compound Exposure in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA." (2026). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ce_etds/384