Please note: This is a Sole Source Notification. The University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) measured airborne chemical pollutants for the Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) between January 19, 2023 and December 1, 2024. However, UDAQ believes that a longer record of measurements is useful for establishing trends and confirming key relationships between chemical compounds. The kinds of measurements that CU can make are unique and otherwise, unavailable to UDAQ elsewhere. UDAQ operates an air monitoring station at the Utah State Correctional Facility near the airport. There, CU will continue measuring bromine monoxide (BrO), formaldehyde (HCHO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) using their MAX-DOAS instrument. They will compare MAX-DOAS CHOH measurements with measurements from a different instrument (Picarro G2307) operated by UDAQ. Validation of surface HCHO will provide confidence in MAX-DOAS upper atmospheric measurements. Another chemical compound that CU will measure is glyoxal (CHOCHO), another volatile organic compound (VOC) that UDAQ does not measure. The relationship between CHOCHO and HCHO can tell us about different VOC sources, which can be helpful for designing emission controls. Another key result provided by CU to UDAQ is the relationship between HCHO and NO2, which the MAX-DOAS provides. The relationship between HCHO and NO2 is very important; It can help determine what emissions controls would be the most effective at reducing summertime ozone (O3) pollution along the Northern Wasatch Front.
