Why is Air quality important?
As part of a national Air Quality Forecasting Capability, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), issue daily air quality forecast guidance. Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the quality of air has improved drastically. Even though, there are still a lot of parts of the US where the public is exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution and delicate ecosystems are damaged by air pollution. There are an estimated 60,000 premature deaths each year caused in the US by poor air quality. The costs from illnesses related to air pollution are estimated at $150 billion per year.
The objective of the U.S. air quality program is to provide ozone, particulate matter and other pollutant forecasts the public can utilize to reduce the detrimental effects of poor air quality. The end goal is to improve and save lives, also reduce the number of air quality-related asthma attacks; throat irritation, eyes, nose and heart diseases.
Risks Associated with Ground Level Ozone
Ground-level ozone (O3) is a trace gas consisting nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of heat and sunlight. Gasoline vapors, Motor vehicle exhaust, chemical solvents and industrial emissions are some of the major sources of NOx and VOCs responsible for harmful concentrations of ground level-ozone. High concentrations of ozone near ground level can be harmful to people, crops, materials and animals.
Even at low concentrations of ozone, it can trigger a variety of health problems such as asthma attacks, lung irritation and inflammation, coughing, wheezing and increased vulnerability to respiratory illnesses.
Risks Associated with Particulate Matter
Particulate matter also known as particle pollution or PM is a complex mixture of small particles including dirt, dust, soot, and smoke.
Some particles are directly emitted into the air by cars, buses, trucks, construction sites, wood burning and factories to name a few examples. Other particles are formed in the air when gases from burning fuels cause a reaction with water vapor and sunlight. These types of gases, from incomplete combustion in motor vehicles, at power plants and in other industrial processes, indirectly lead to particulate pollution.
This kind of pollution can cause various health problems such as heart attacks, chronic bronchitis, coughing, painful breathing, decreased lung function and asthma attacks. It can also cause a variety of harmful environmental impacts like acidification of streams and lakes and nutrient depletion in water and soil bodies.
