News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beth Gorman (520) 740-3343
Tucson, Arizona (April 27, 2006) - Pima County Department
of Environmental Quality reports that during the winter air pollution
season, from October through March, carbon monoxide and particulate
matter pollution levels remained below the National Ambient Air
Quality Standards. During the upcoming summer air pollution season,
air quality advisories will continue to be issued with the American
Lung Association when ground-level ozone and particulate pollution
concentrations approach the unhealthy levels. In addition, ozone “movies” are
available on the Air Info Now website to track the ebb and flow
of ozone levels around the Tucson area.
PDEQ uses the federal Air
Quality Index (AQI) as a measure of the pollutant levels detected
in the air quality monitoring network. The AQI measures good
air quality on a scale from 1-50; moderate air quality from 51-100;
and unhealthy air quality 101 and above. For the fifth year in
a row, carbon monoxide pollution levels were in the good range
every day during the 182-day season. The region has not exceeded
federal standards for carbon monoxide for over 15 years. Particulate
matter (PM10) air pollution levels were in the moderate range
74 days out of the 182 days during the 2005-2006 season, compared
with 14 for the same time frame in 2004-2005. The highest AQI
value for PM10 during the 6 months from October through March
2004-2005 was 72. The last time the EPA health standard for PM10
was violated was in 1999.
“The lack of rain contributed to the large increase in
the number of moderate days for PM10 this winter,” said
Beth Gorman, Program Manager for PDEQ. “Now that summer
is approaching, we need to be concerned about ground level ozone,
as well as PM10,” Gorman continued. “We are at 90
percent of the EPA health standard for ozone, so we only have
a 10 percent cushion before we exceed the standard. This is a
very small margin of safety, especially since our area has a
large number of individuals considered ‘at-risk’ for
health problems when ozone levels are elevated,” she continued.
Elevated
levels of ground level ozone are most often seen when stagnant
air pressure systems and increased solar radiation combine with
emissions from motor vehicles and other sources, allowing ground-level
ozone to form in the air we breathe.
PDEQ will continue to work with the American Lung Association
to increase public awareness of the health problems associated
with ozone pollution and issue advisories, should concentrations
reach levels that could adversely affect sensitive populations.
People most at risk include children, outdoor exercisers, and
individuals with lung disease. Ground-level ozone can irritate
the respiratory system, reduce lung function, aggravate asthma,
inflame cells that line the lungs and aggravate chronic lung
disease.
The ebb and flow of ozone levels can be observed throughout
the eastern Pima County area on “ozone movies” available
at http://www.airinfonow.org/html/ozoneMC.html.
Since approximately 63 percent of our air pollution is caused
by motor vehicle use, individuals can reduce the amount of pollution
they create by doing the following:
• use their cars less;
• keep cars properly maintained;
• refuel after 6:00 PM during the summer;
• stop at the click when pumping gasoline to avoid fumes
and spills;
• combine trips;
• avoid idling at drive-thru windows;
• carpool; take the bus; and/or ride a bike or walk on
short trips.
In addition, other activities, such as starting barbeques with
an electric charcoal starter instead of lighter fluid and using
electric or manual gardening equipment, will help to prevent
air pollution.
For more information on the health effects of air pollution,
actions that can be taken to reduce air pollution, and up-to-the-hour
air quality information, call the Pima County Department of Environmental
Quality at 740-3343 or click on www.airinfonow.org.
###
