Has Air Quality Gotten Better
or Worse in Your Lifetime?
NAAQS Established April 30, 1971
Six Pollutants that are Dangerous for
Public Health:
1. Lead
2. Carbon monoxide
3. Nitrogen dioxide
4. Sulfur dioxide
5. Ozone
6. Particulate Matter
#1: Lead (pb)
 Definition: naturally-occurring
metal
 Sources: ore and metal
processing; aviation leaded
gasoline
 Health Impact: reduces blood’s
ability to carry oxygen; can
contribute to high blood
pressure and heart disease.
 Fact: EPA banned from gasoline
in the 1970s.
#2: Carbon Monoxide (CO)
 Definition: colorless,
odorless gas
 Source: motor vehicles
 Health Impact: blocks
oxygen delivery to
major organs such as
the heart and brain.
 Fact: CO is deadly in an
enclosed space with
rapid, high exposure.
#3: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
 Definition: a reddish-brown, highly
reactive gas
 Sources: motor vehicles, power plants
 Health Impact: even healthy people will
experience airway inflammation when
exposed to NO2.
 Fact: adding oxygen to nitrogen allows it
to pollute more.
Near Road NO2 Monitoring Site
#4: Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
 Definition: a highly
reactive toxic gas
 Sources: power
plants, industrial
facilities
 Health Impact:
increase asthma
symptoms
 Facts: SO2 is the main
cause of acid rain;
scrubbers at power
plants have reduced
SO2 from the air
#5: Ozone (O3)
 Definition: colorless gas that occurs
when pollutants mix in the presence of
heat and light
 Sources: car exhaust, gas vapors,
industrial emissions
 Health Impact: coughing, throat
irritation, even chest pains
 Fact: main cause of smog alerts
#6: Particulate Matter (PM)
 Definition: soot, dust and dirt in the air
Course particulates (between 2.5 and 10): produced by
crushing or grinding processes
Fine particulates (PM2.5) are so small they can only be
detected with an electron microscope.
 Sources:
Course: dust from vehicles on the road or construction sites
Fine: all types of combustion: cars, residential wood burning,
forest fires, even fireworks
 Health Impact: Coughing, decreased lung function, irregular
heartbeat.
Particulate Matter (PM)
Air Monitors
Air Quality Index
Air Quality
Good
Index
0-50
Protect Your Health
2012
2013
No health impacts are expected when air quality in
this range.
127
98
260
Moderate
51-100
Unusually sensitive people should consider
limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
206
Unhealthy for
Sensitive
Groups
101-150
Active children and adults, and people with
respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit
prolonged outdoor exertion.
30
7
Unhealthy
151-200
Active children and adults, and people with
respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid
prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else,
especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion.
3
0
Very
Unhealthy
201-300
Active children and adults, and people with
respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid
all prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else,
especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
0
0
Hazardous
301-500
Health alert: everyone may experience more
serious health effects
0
0
Local Air Quality Map
Has Air Quality Gotten Better
or Worse in Your Lifetime?
Air Pollution Reduction: 1990-2010
100%
17% 17%
90%
80%
70%
38% 33%
45% 46%
60%
50%
40%
73% 70%
75% 78%
30%
83% 86%
20%
10%
0%
Lead
CO
NO2
SO2
PM
Ozone
NAAQS Analysis
of
Pollutant Unit
Measurement
ppm
CO
(parts per million)
μg/m3
Lead
(micrograms per cubic
meter)
ppb
NO2
(parts per billion)
ppb
SO2
(parts per billion)
ppb
Ozone
(parts per billion)
μg/m3
PM2.5
(micrograms per cubic
meter)
EPA
Standard
9 ppm
8-hour average
SW Ohio
2012
.15 μg/m3
(rolling, 3-month average)
.0059 μg/m3
53 ppb
annual average
75 ppb
1-hour average
13 ppb
.99 ppm
70 ppb
75 ppb
1
35 μg/m3
annual average
2
1There
are four counties in Southwest Ohio; here are their 2010-2012 ozone readings:
Butler: 82; Clermont: 82; Hamilton: 85; Warren: 79
2Here
is the 2012 data for PM2.5 per county
Butler: 27; Hamilton: 30
Don’t Idle!
Idling is leaving a vehicle’s engine running
when it is parked or not in use.
• Waiting to pick someone up
• Running errands
• Sitting at the drive-thru
Idling a car for 30 seconds uses more gas
than turning it off and on!