News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Beth Gorman (520) 740-3343
Tucson, Arizona (April 23, 2007)- 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” will
be available on the Air Info Now web site to track the formation
of ozone in 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 sixth 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
in over 16 years. Particulate matter (PM10) air pollution levels
were in the moderate range 22 days out of the 182 days during
the 2006-2007 season, compared with 74 for the same time frame
in 2005-2006. The highest AQI value for PM10 during the 6 months
from October through March 2006-2007 was 100 compared with 72
in 2005-2006. The last time the EPA health standard for PM10
was violated was in 1999.
“Now that summer is approaching, we need to be concerned
about ground level ozone, along with PM10,” said Beth Gorman,
Program Manager for PDEQ. “Data from our air quality monitors
indicate that we are at about 90 percent of the EPA health standard
for ozone, which means we have a small, 10 percent margin of
safety before we exceed the standard. This is a concern, especially
since our area has a large number of individuals considered ‘at-risk’ for
health problems when ozone levels are elevated,” she continued.
Ground level ozone is monitored by PDEQ at nine different air
quality monitoring sites in eastern Pima County.
Variations in
weather conditions play an important role in determining ozone
levels. 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.
Ozone is more readily formed on warm, sunny days when the air
is still. Conversely, ozone production is limited when it is
cloudy, cool, rainy, and windy. PDEQ staff often communicate
with the local branch of the National Weather Service to determine
weather conditions conducive to elevated air pollution levels.
The ebb and flow of ozone levels can be observed throughout the
eastern Pima County area on “ozone movies” available
on the PDEQ Air Info Now web site at http://www.airinfonow.org/html/ozoneMC.html.
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 respiratory disease. At elevated levels, ground-level ozone
can cause acute respiratory problems, temporarily reduce lung
capacity by 20 percent in some healthy adults, aggravate asthma,
inflame lung tissue, impair the bodies’ immune
system, and increase hospital admissions and emergency room visits.
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:
• drive less;
• keep cars properly maintained;
• refuel vehicle after 6:00 PM during the summer;
• stop at the click when pumping gasoline to avoid
fumes and spills;
• combine trips into one outing;
• 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 conserving electricity,
starting barbeques with an electric charcoal starter instead
of lighter fluid, and using electric or manual gardening equipment,
will help to prevent ozone 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.
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