Abstract
Unconventional energy production from the Barnett Shale Play in North Texas has grown and matured over the past two decades. The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex area is adjacent to this large energy production region. Ambient air quality data from three North Texas sites (Dallas Hinton (DAL), Fort Worth Northwest (FWNW), and Denton Airport South (DEN)) was acquired from Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). During 2000–2020, total nonmethane organic compound (TNMOC) concentrations decreased at DAL and FWNW by about −1.62%/year and −0.63%/year, respectively, while an increase of +9.97%/year was noted at DEN. An increase in the observed ethane concentrations and a decrease in acetylene concentrations were observed at all three sites. Ethane is a key ingredient in natural gas. While acetylene, typically associated with traffic emissions along with the concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) showed a year-to-year decline at all sites. The ozone formation potential (OFP) was calculated using measured TNMOC concentrations. Highly reactive volatile organic compounds (VOC) associated with urban sources (ethylene, propylene, and m/p-xylene) affected the calculated OFP in DAL and FWNW, while slow-reacting n-alkanes linked to natural gas operations (ethane, propane, and butane) influenced the OFP in DEN.
