Clean Air

What Causes Air Pollution

According to NASA, air pollution is "solid and liquid particles - called aerosols - and certain gases end up in our air." These particles that cause air pollution come from chemical reactions, burning fossil fuels, car exhaust, factories, and wildfires. Air pollution arises from natural and human activity. The human activity impact contributes much more than natural sources. 5 major human activities are the cause of air pollution, which are:

• Transportation - Fuel combustion from cars and vehicles
• Heat and power generation - oil and coal power plants
• Industry facilities - manufacturing factories, mines, oil facilities
• Agricultural waste sites and waste incineration
• Residential - cooking, heating, lighting, and polluting fuels

A significant factor that contributes to air pollution is urban planning. Los Angeles is an excellent example of this issue. Human sprawl causes people to be more dependent on vehicle transportation which contributes to transportation emissions. If you are interested in learning about urban sprawl and the adverse effects on the environment, read Green Metropolitan by David Owen.

Human activities that contribute to air pollution have gotten out of hand, and the government has to get involved. That is when the Clean Air Act of 1970 was put forth into action. Although this Act does not have solutions for every issue, it is a start to get to where we should be in hopes to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, have our communities live healthier lives, keep our economy stable, reduce the rising of the sea, and many more.

Types of Air Pollution

There are six types of air pollutants according to WHO:

1. Particulate matter: Particulate matter (PM) are inhalable and respirable particles composed of sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust, and water.
2. Black Carbon: Black carbon is a significant component of PM 2.5 and a driver of climate change, also known as a “short-lived climate pollutant.” Black carbon is one of the largest contributors to global warming after Carbon Dioxide.
3. Ground-level ozone: Ground-level ozone is one of the major components of photochemical smog and a critical health risk linked to breaking problems, asthma, reducing lung function, and respiratory disease. It is a secondary pollutant, meaning that it is not directly emitted.
4. Nitrogen dioxide: Nitrogen dioxide, mainly emitted by power generations, industrial and traffic sources, is an essential constituent of particulate matter and ozone. There is growing evidence that, independently, it can increase bronchitis and asthma symptoms and lead to respiratory infections and reduced lung function and growth.
5. Sulfur dioxide: Sulfur dioxide is primarily produced from the burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) and the smelting of mineral ores that contain sulfur. Exposure to sulfur dioxide affects the respiratory system and function of the lungs and causes irritation of the eyes.?
6. Carbon Monoxide: Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas, which at high levels can be harmful to humans by impairing the amount of oxygen transported in the bloodstream to critical organs. New evidence also reveals that long-term exposure to low concentration is associated with a wide range of health effects.

Clean Air Act

The EPA’s definition of the Clean Air Act is “the law that defines EPA’s responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation’s air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer.” The stratospheric ozone layer is a layer of gas that filters ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This is essential to have in our atmosphere because it reduces the harmful effects of the sun’s radiation. Congress integrated the Clean Air Act into the United States Code as Title 42, Chapter 85.

The EPA has determined a set quality standard for particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead. These specific standards achieve and maintain air quality specific to their state. Considered in this plan are state emissions that harm air quality. This creates the opportunity to use the best available technology for stationary sources, such as factories and power plants.

Each state is in charge of enforcing a plan to meet specific standards. According to the EPA, “in some states such as California, local air pollution districts work with the state to produce air quality plans. Each state plan also must prohibit emissions that significantly contribute to air quality problems in a downwind state.”

Progress of Clean Air Act

The Clean Air act has successfully lowered six primary pollutants and lowered many toxic pollutants. The EPA has a great chart that shows the health benefits of the Act and the levels of pollutants. See below for the chart.

The Clean Air Act and the Economy

Skeptics raised the concern of the Clean Air Act and the economy going hand in hand. Can you have clean air and a stable economy? According to the data the EPA has collected, since the 1970’s it has been proven that you can protect public health and have a building economy. The Act has established innovation in cleaner technologies and opened up the market for jobs. The United States is a global market leader in clean technologies, which means there are jobs, businesses, and opportunities arising to create a more stable economy. According to the 2020 statistics from the EPA, “the central benefit exceeds costs by a factor of more than 30-to-1, and the high benefits estimate exceeds costs by 90-to-1.” In addition, the economic welfare and growth rates have greatly improved as a direct result of cleaner air which means a decrease in air pollution-related illnesses. Therefore less money is spent on medical treatments. Additionally, from the EPA, “ another reason the economy and the environment go together is the money spent does not disappear. It goes to companies that design, build, install, maintain and operate pollution-reducing processes and equipment.”

Port of Long Beach Air Quality Monitoring Plan and Air Monitoring Quality Assurance Plan

The Long Beach Port has placed monitoring stations throughout the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles. According to the clean air action plan, “The Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles monitoring programs support their joint commitment to improving air quality within the San Pedro Bay region under the Clean Air Act Action Plan.” The data they collect from the air monitoring stations will be used to provide feedback on the Port’s air quality and their improvement efforts. You can view real-time data on the pollutants in the atmosphere, like ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter.

https://monitoring.cleanairactionplan.org/current-data/

The Port of Long Beach has a goal to reduce its air quality impacts correlated with goods movement. They get their standards and goals from the Clean Air Act. The Act “identifies strategies to reduce pollution from every energy source - ships, trucks, harbor crafts, and cargo handling equipment.” (cleanairactionplan.org) The Port has made drastic changes since 2005, with emission reductions exceeding 85% for particulate matter, 50% for nitrogen oxides, and 95% for sulfur oxides. You can learn more about each strategy to reduce pollution from every source at their website.?

Real-World Story

The World Health Organization, WHO, reports and analyzes air pollution, concluding that 9 in 10 people breathe air that exceeds the WHO guidelines for air pollutants. These statistics show that air pollution affects nearly everyone. Here is a real-world story that relates to air pollution illness.

Rosamund Kissi-Debrah led a campaign in London after hearing about a story that put a name behind the statistic. Nine-year-old Ella dealt with extreme asthma and died at the age of 9 due to a severe asthma attack. Surprised and bewildered, her doctor diagnosed her with cough syncope, which results in unconsciousness due to coughing. She dealt with this for the last three years of her life. Convinced it happened from the increased air pollution, her mother and legal team took action. A particle called PM 2.5 and PM 10 can be deadly and is not visible to the naked eye. These particles are harmful to the lungs and cardiovascular system. This and the increased Nitrogen Dioxide during those years could have been a factor in Ella's death. Her family's passion for clean air is making an impact on her community and the government. Caroline Russel, the spokesperson for the Green party for transport, says," It is about rethinking our transport system so that everyone has access to affordable, regular, efficient public transport and are not car-dependent. This kind of transport change is difficult to bring about: we have a car-dependent culture, politicians who are frightened of the motorists and a press that is very motor-centric."