Air Quality 101
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Transcript of Air Quality 101
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Air Quality 101
Clean Air PartnersNew Member Orientation
August 29, 2006
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The Products:Forecast and AQAG
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People Most at Risk from Air Pollution
• Children
• Elderly
• Adults who are active outdoors• People with respiratory and
heart ailments
In the Baltimore/Washington region, more than 320,000 adults and 100,000 children have asthma.
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• What we typically call smog is made up of ground level ozone.
• VOCs + NOx + Sunlight = Ozone
Ground Level Ozone
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Fine Particulate Matter
• Particles are very small objects found in the air, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets.
• Our respiratory system filters out larger particles.
• Smaller particles get trapped in the lungs, while the smallest are so tiny they pass through the lungs into the blood stream.
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Sources of Particles
• Primary Particles
– power plants, factories, automobile exhaust, construction sites, unpaved roads, wood burning, agriculture sites
• Secondary Particles
– gases from burning fuels react with sunlight and water vapor and are chemically transformed into particles
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Good News – Emission Levels
• The Baltimore/Washington region has implemented an aggressive set of air pollution control regulations
– Power plants to hair spray and perfume
– Over 100 different regulations since 1990
• Emissions have been cut by about 40% since 1990
– National average is about 20% http://www.lippmannforcongress.us/air%20pollution.jpg
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Good News – Ozone levels are lower than they have ever beenNumber of 8-Hour Ozone Exceedance Days
Baltimore Metropolitan Region and Washington, DC Metropolitan Region1993 - 2006
46
40
36
2830
51
40
16
26
37
10 10
24
16
47
20
29
18
29
49
39
10
24
38
78
19 19
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Nu
mb
er o
d E
xcee
dan
ce D
ays
Baltimore Metro Region Washington, DC Metro Region
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Nationally recognized for mapping and color-coded messaging system
1993 - Forecasting methodology tested 1994 - “Ozone Map” piloted color-coded forecasting for Baltimore
through partnership with MDE - ALA 1995 - Ozone Map airs, color-coded forecasting spreads to DC, Clean
Air Partners formed 1996 - Ozone Action Days Program started 1997 - Ozone Map gains national recognition; EPA begins national
ozone mapping effort 1998 - EPA adopts Maryland color coded messaging as part of the
federal Air Quality Index (AQI) 2003 - Real time data effort initiated – web and email based
air-watch.net 2004 - Fine particulate added to outreach efforts; OAD now AQAD
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• About 600 organizations and individuals as partners
• A Baltimore and Washington DC regional initiative
• Encourages voluntary actions to help reduce air pollution
• Also used to inform employees and clients of health issues and air quality forecasts
Adding Actions to the Process
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Individual Actions
• Limit driving and refuel cars after dark
• Share a ride, telework from home, or use transit
• Consolidate trips and errands
• Avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment
• Put off any painting until later
• Avoid using aerosol products
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Media Coverage