Some Biofuels Might Do More Harm than Good to the Environment

Biofuels based on ethanol, vegetable oil and other renewable sources are increasingly popular with government and environmentalists as a way to reduce fossil fuel dependence and limit greenhouse gas emissions.

But new research led by a biologist at the University of Washington, Bothell, shows that some of the most popular current biofuel stocks might have exactly the opposite impacts than intended. The authors of a paper published in the June issue of the journal Conservation Biology offer a dozen policy recommendations to promote sustainability and biodiversity in biofuel production.

The study looked at factors such as the energy needed to produce a renewable fuel source compared with how much energy is produced, the impact on soil fertility and effects on food supply when fuels based on crops such as corn and soybeans are mixed with fossil fuels. Based on those factors, the authors determined that corn-based ethanol is the worst alternative overall.

"It's foolish to say we should be developing a particular biofuel when that could mean that we’re just replacing one problem with another," said lead author Martha Groom of the UW Bothell. Co-authors are Elizabeth Gray of The Nature Conservancy and Patricia Townsend of the UW Seattle.

The authors argue that precise calculations are needed to determine the ecological footprints of large-scale cultivation of various crops used for biofuels.

They note, for example, that because such large amounts of energy are required to grow corn and convert it to ethanol, the net energy gain of the resulting fuel is modest. Using a crop such as switchgrass, common forage for cattle, would require much less energy to produce the fuel, and using algae would require even less. Changing direction to biofuels based on switchgrass or algae would require significant policy changes, since the technologies to produce such fuels are not fully developed.

The paper's policy suggestions are "not definitive at all," Groom said, "but rather each category calls out a question and is a starting point in trying to find the proper answers."

These concerns are becoming more acute with the rapid rise of both food and fuel prices, she said. The issue is especially touchy for farmers who might for the first time be realizing significant profits on their crops, but it also is a serious concern for motorists.

"I've heard about people getting their gas tanks siphoned, and I hadn't heard of that since the '70s," she said.

A difficulty, Groom said, is that while escalating prices add pressure to find less costly fuel sources, acting too hastily could create a host of other problems. For example, farmers who plant only corn because it is suddenly profitable, and don't rotate with crops such as soybeans, are likely to greatly deplete their soil, which could limit crop growth and promote soil erosion.

Also, some plants are better than others for absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while others perhaps need more cultivation, which requires more fossil fuel for farm equipment. In addition, fertilization, watering and harvesting all require energy.

The study took about a year to conduct and is a synthesis of peer-reviewed research published in a various journals. The scientists examined the literature looking for indicators of biofuels that are more sustainable and carry a smaller ecological footprint, then used that information to derive the policy recommendations.

The primary audiences for the work are policy makers, students and other biologists, Groom said. The primary goals are to establish a logical basis to evaluate options for biofuel development and to spur new research to find the most ecologically promising alternatives.
"We don't want to make new mistakes. If we don't ask the right questions to start with, we're going to replace old problems with new ones," she said.

Policy Recommendations:
• Calculate a biofuel's ecological footprint
• Promote only biofuels that can be produced sustainably
• Select highly efficient species for biofuels
• Work to minimize land needed for biofuels
• Encourage reclamation of degraded areas
• Prohibit clearing areas for more cultivation
• Promote use of energy crops that require less fertilizer, pesticide and energy
• Promote native and perennial species
• Prohibit use of invasive species
• Promote crop rotation on cultivated lands
• Encourage soil conservation
• Promote only biofuels that are at least net carbon neutral

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University of Washington

environment

Tell the EPA What You Think

Ever wanted to tell EPA what you thought on an environmental topic? Each week, you have your chance in the EPA blog, "Greenversations." Each question is an open-ended blog entry; please share your thoughts as comments.

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EPA Blog

environment

Particulates Cause More Premature Deaths than Previously Thought

More premature deaths than previously thought from particles in vehicle exhaust New research reveals significant new information

The California Air Resources Board was presented with research today showing long-term exposures to fine particle pollution pose a greater health threat than previously estimated.

Annually, 14,000 to 24,000 premature deaths are estimated to be associated with exposures to PM2.5, a mix of microscopic particles less than 2.5 microns in size. A majority of these deaths occur in highly populated areas around the state, including the South Coast, San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay air basins.

"Particle pollution is a silent killer," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "We must work even harder to cut these life-shortening emissions by further addressing pollution sources head-on."
Particulate matter (PM) is a complex blend of substances ranging from dry solid fragments, solid-cores fragments with liquid coatings, and small droplets of liquid. These particles vary in shape, size and chemical composition, and may include metals, soot, soil and dust.

At the request of the board in 2006, ARB researchers carefully reviewed all scientific studies on the subject and consulted with health scientists. While exposures to particulate matter have long been known as a serious health threat, new information suggests that the pollutant is even more toxic than previously thought.

Hospitalizations, emergency room visits and doctor visits for respiratory illnesses or heart disease have been associated with PM2.5 exposure. Other studies suggest that PM2.5 exposure may influence asthma symptoms and acute and chronic bronchitis.

Children, the elderly and people with pre-existing chronic disease are most at risk of experiencing adverse health effects from PM2.5 exposure. Even small increases in PM2.5 exposures may increase health risks.

Major contributors to PM2.5 include trucks, passenger cars, off-road equipment, electric power generation and industrial processes, residential wood burning, and forest and agricultural burning. All combustion processes generally produce PM2.5.

While the new data reveals a greater threat from PM2.5, the state's previous efforts to reduce emissions throughout the state have been successful. The ARB in coordination with the 35 air districts throughout the state continues to develop and implement strategies of aggressive air pollution control. These measures have been so effective for the last two decades that PM exposures have been reduced in California's major populated areas. Since the official year-round monitoring of ambient PM2.5 began in 1999, concentrations have decreased 30 percent across California, most notably in the South Coast and the San Joaquin Valley regions.

Additionally, in 2000 ARB adopted an aggressive risk reduction plan that targets all diesel PM sources in California. As part of the plan, cleaner diesel fuels and new diesel engines (both on-road and off-road) have been developed. In concert with regulations aimed at requiring cleaner new engines, other regulations have been adopted to address diesel engines already on the road, including those in waste collection vehicles, transit fleet, school buses, stationary engines, transport refrigeration units and portable engines. Later this year, ARB will consider rules to significantly cut diesel particulate emissions from private truck fleets.

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ARB

ARB Approves the Distribution of $221 Million of Proposition 1B Funding

Projects estimated to reduce nearly 30,000 tons of pollution

FRESNO - The Air Resources Board approved today the final list of diesel emission reduction projects to be funded by the first installment of $221 million out of the $1 billion from voter-endorsed Proposition 1B.

ARB voted to distribute $221 million among California's four trade corridors based on the funding targets adopted last February. The allocation will place $122 million for the Los Angeles/Inland Empire; $55 million for the Central Valley; $31 million for the Bay Area; and $13 million for the San Diego/Border region.

The dissemination by categories would result in a total of:
$198.4 million to upgrade over 8,200 trucks with cleaner equipment and engines
$16.5 million for 18 new locomotives
$2.5 million for shore electric power for cargo ships docking at the Port of San Diego
$4.3 million for 17 freight-related harbor craft

"This is a grand move toward our ultimate goal of cleaning up the air," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "With regulations in place and funding for early compliance, California is on its way to significantly reduce the number of people affected by diesel soot."

Having identified diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant in 1998 due to its potential to cause cancer and other respiratory problems, ARB has put in place stringent regulations to curve the health risk to Californians and to further the state's progress towards meeting air quality goals.

Over their life, the projects to be funded are estimated to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 26,900 tons and particulate matter by 1,800 tons. ARB and the local agencies administering the monies will focus on projects that quickly reduce emissions and achieve benefits throughout the state, such as directing 94 percent of the total to cleaner trucks and locomotives that may travel within multiple corridors.

The awards to eligible local agencies and projects were made official at today's public hearing in Fresno. Earlier this year, the ARB released $25 million in early grants to five air districts to upgrade 1,000 trucks and install shore-based electrical power at two ship berths.

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ARB

ARB Chairman Mary Nichols applauds Senator Boxer's bill

Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, issued the following statement about Senator Boxer's new bill that would reverse the EPA decision denying California's request to be allowed to implement its regulations minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from autos. This follows revelations from a report issued by the house of representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Representative Henry Waxman, that after communications with the White House, Administrator Johnson reversed his original decision -- supported fully by USEPA staff -- to grant California a waiver to enforce its clean car law .

"We applaud the fact that Senator Boxer's bill to overturn administrator Johnson's illegal denial of California's waiver request made it out of the committee. This is a significant step forward but only one skirmish in the battle to secure our rights and protect the environment. We will continue to fight for the waiver in the courts, we will press our case with the public, and we will not stop demanding that the federal administration's obey the law. Fourteen states representing almost half the vehicles in the nation and tens of millions of consumers need clean cars now that reduce greenhouse gases and save money at the pump. "

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ARB

ARB: In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Reg.

The California Office of Administrative Law approved the in-use off-road diesel vehicle regulation and filed it with the Secretary of State on May 16, 2008. The regulation will become effective on June 15, 2008. The final regulation order is available at http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2007/ordiesl07/frooal.pdf

ARB Receives Additional Funding to Clean Up State Trucks and Buses

Diesel emissions from freeway trucks are major contributors to poor air quality

The Governor's revised May budget has allocated an additional $48 million to the Air Resources Board to help low-income truckers comply with regulations aimed at cleaning up diesel emissions from trucks and buses.

The funds from AB118 will combine with previously allocated Proposition 1B funding to help truckers pay for the engine retrofits and replacements that will be required beginning in 2010 after ARB approves in October the country's first regulation aimed at cleaning an estimated 420,000 trucks and buses registered in California as well as those coming in from other states. ARB will work with the Treasurers Office to use the 118 funds to facilitate low interest loans to help truckers install soot filtration devices or completely replace older, dirtier engines.

Funds will also be used to help truckers add devices such as side skirts and wider tires that reduce aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance of trailers, which save fuel and thus lessen greenhouse gas emissions.

"This money will help truckers in the state, many of whom are struggling financially, to retrofit and replace engines to help all of us breathe easier," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "We appreciate the Governor's and Legislature's support on this crucial public health issue."

"Sierra Club California supports the administration's proposal to use $50 million in available air-quality funds for loans to help low-income truckers achieve early compliance with upcoming requirements to reduce toxic diesel emissions," said Bill Magavern, director of Sierra Club California. "This proposal provides a creative solution that will benefit Californians' health and our economy."

"The American Lung Association of California is extremely concerned about the serious health risks posed by diesel trucks and buses and supports the Administration's proposal to allocate existing air quality funds for grants and loans to assist in modernizing these vehicles to reduce toxic emissions," said Bonnie Holmes-Gen, senior policy director for the American Lung Association of California. "Diesel trucks and buses are the largest source of cancer causing soot in the state and we strongly support investing state funds to achieve early compliance with state pollution control regulations."

ARB's draft regulation addresses the largest unregulated source of diesel emissions in the state. In the absence of the regulation, ARB staff currently estimates 11,000 premature deaths from diesel truck emissions between 2010 and 2020. The total economic value of eliminating this impact is $70 to 89 billion.

The regulation is projected to cost the trucking industry somewhere between $3.6 to $5.5 billion from 2010 to 2021, which ARB staff estimates will add less than a penny apiece to products hauled by these trucks that people buy, ranging from athletic shoes to television sets.

Staff re-worked an earlier version of the draft regulation to eliminate the need for truckers to replace trucks twice, instead relying more heavily on retrofits for the first two years of the regulation. The revised proposal has a lower cost while preserving important public health benefits. The proposed regulation now calls for truckers to retrofit pre-2007 model year trucks with soot filters and then requires a gradual modernization of trucks beginning in 2012, so that ultimately all trucks are the cleanest, 2010 or newer models.

Emissions from diesel particulate matter are associated with causing a variety of health effects including premature death and a number of heart and lung diseases.

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ARB

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diesel emissions

When it Comes to Air Pollution, What You Can't See Can Hurt You

Research presented at American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Third Annual Scientific Meeting and Exposition (ASH 2008) shows that even a few hours of exposure to particulate matter (PM), which is not ozone but a component of air pollution emitted from power plants, factories and motor vehicles, among other sources, is responsible for rapidly raising blood pressure and can impair blood vessel function in certain situations within 24 hours. These effects may explain why air pollution can trigger a large host of CV events including heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

"Not everyone is equally at risk to the effects of poor air quality," said Robert Brook, Assistant Professor of Medicine of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Michigan. "Yet, as traffic worsens and millions of vulnerable people are exposed to PM, it is incumbent upon us to understand how and why people are affected so that we can take steps to limit our personal exposure – and consider making broader changes to the public agenda to control air pollution."

PM is the 13th cause of mortality worldwide, but until now, the explanation underlying this association remains incompletely understood.

In their study, researchers designed two randomized, double-blind exposure experiments – one in downtown Toronto and one in Ann Arbor, Michigan – to investigate how PM raises blood pressure in healthy adults, aged 18 to 50, and what air pollution constituents are responsible. In Toronto, researchers compared the effect on blood pressure and blood vessel functions among 30 adults for two hours in four different exposure situations: concentrated ambient PM (CAPS alone), CAPS and ozone, ozone alone or filtered air. Results showed that short term exposure to air pollution that contains PM (CAP or CAP and ozone) – but not ozone alone – significantly raised diastolic blood pressure by 3.6 mm Hg on average (a significant difference from filtered air), and only during the exposure period of two hours. Blood vessel function was impaired 24 hours after all exposures containing PM, but not ozone alone, and not immediately after any exposure type (within five minutes).

In Ann Arbor, researchers compared the effect of CAP and ozone in 50 adults pre-treated with the anti-oxidant vitamin C, a blocker of the vasoconstrictor hormone endothelin (bosentan) and placebo. Diastolic blood pressure increased to a similar degree, between 2.5 and 4.0 mm Hg, during all exposure types. Blood vessel function was not impaired at any time point after all exposures, and blood pressure returned to normal within 10 minutes after exposure.

Results confirm that it is PM and not ozone that is responsible for the rapid raise in diastolic blood pressure and that the pro-hypertensive response occurs only during the actual inhalation of the particles. The very rapid and transient nature of the increase in blood pressure, and the fact that pre-treatment with vitamin C did not block the response, suggest that a sudden increased in sympathetic nervous system activity is the most like cause.

Additionally, the study confirmed that PM does impair blood vessel function one day following exposure. But since this response occurred only in Toronto, the composition of PM or its source may likely play a role in determining the health response.

"These findings are a springboard for further study that will specifically determine how the sympathetic nervous system responds and to what types of particles in air pollution," said Dr. Brook. "But this glimpse helps us determine the triggers behind a range of CV events – some deadly. Learning how this dangerous cascade starts can help the medical and public health community make advances toward limiting their impact in the future."

About the American Society of HypertensionThe American Society of Hypertension (ASH) is the largest U.S. professional organization of scientific investigators and healthcare professionals committed to eliminating hypertension and its consequences. ASH is dedicated to promoting strategies to prevent hypertension and to improving the care of patients with hypertension and associated disorders. The Society serves as a scientific forum that bridges current hypertension research with effective clinical treatment strategies for patients.

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NewsWise

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How to reduce diesel particulate matter using emissions control technology

Air Pollution Might Cause Blood Clots in Legs

Long-term exposure to air pollution appears to be associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, blood clots in the thigh or legs, according to a new article.

Exposure to particulate air pollution--very small particles of solid and liquid chemicals that come from burning fossil fuels and other sources--has been linked to the increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease and stroke, according to background information in the article. Recent studies have suggested this relationship may result at least in part from the effects of particulate air pollution on blood clotting.

Andrea Baccarelli, M.D., Ph.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues assessed exposure to particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter among 870 patients who had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in Lombardy, Italy, between 1995 and 2005. These patients, along with 1,210 controls who did not have deep vein thrombosis, were assigned to one of nine geographic regions based on where they lived at the time of the study. The researchers then used the average concentration of particulate matter for each area, obtained by monitors located at 53 different sites throughout the region, to estimate the level of exposure over the year before diagnosis (for cases) or examination (for controls).

Individuals with deep vein thrombosis tended to have a higher exposure to particulate air pollution than controls. After adjusting for other environmental and health factors, for every increase in particulate matter of 10 micrograms per square meter the previous year, the risk of deep vein thrombosis increased 70 percent. In addition, the blood of patients in both the case and control groups with higher levels of exposure to particulate matter took less time to clot, as measured by a test given in the clinic.

The association between particle exposure and blood clots was stronger in men than in women, and disappeared among women taking oral contraceptives or hormone therapy. "Such hormone therapies are independent risk factors for deep vein thrombosis, which is also confirmed in this study by the higher prevalence of oral contraceptive and hormone use in the cases compared with the controls," the authors write.

"Given the magnitude of the observed effects and the widespread diffusion of particulate pollutants, our findings introduce a novel and common risk factor into the pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis and, at the same time, give further substance to the call for tighter standards and continued efforts aimed at reducing the impact of urban air pollutants on human health," they conclude.

This work was supported by grants from the Environmental Protection Agency Particulate Matter Center; grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; a grant from the MIUR Internationalization Program; and grants from the CARIPLO Foundation and Lombardy region.

Editorial: Blood Clot Risk Could Increase Estimates of Death Toll from Pollution
Air pollution "has become so omnipresent over the past century as to be commonly perceived as a normal natural entity--'the lazy, hazy days of summer'," writes Robert D. Brook, M.D., of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in an accompanying editorial.

"While we have learned to live within this haze without a second thought, air pollution is neither natural nor benign," he continues. "Even though the absolute cardiovascular risk posed to one individual at any single time point is small, owing to the ubiquitous and constant nature of exposure, particulate matter ranks as the 13th leading cause of global mortality (approximately 800,000 deaths annually)."

Dr. Baccarelli and colleagues have presented evidence of a new category of health risks associated with pollution, he writes. "If future studies corroborate their findings and address some of the limitations, it may be proven that the actual totality of the health burden posed by air pollution, already known to be tremendous, may be even greater than ever anticipated," Dr. Brook concludes.

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ScienceDaily

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How diesel particulate matter is reduced using emissions control technology

air pollution
particle pollution

ARB Proposes New Rule to Clean Up State Trucks and Buses

Diesel emissions from freeway trucks are major contributors to poor air quality

The Air Resources Board unveiled a revised draft regulation this week that will require retrofits and engine replacements for the estimated privately owned 300,000 diesel trucks and buses transiting California roadways beginning in 2012.

Staff re-worked an earlier version of the draft regulation to eliminate the need for truckers to replace two trucks in a nine-year span, instead relying more heavily on retrofits for the first two years of the regulation. The revised proposal has a lower cost while preserving important public health benefits.

The proposed regulation now calls for truckers to retrofit pre-2007 model year trucks with soot filters and then requires a gradual modernization of trucks beginning in 2012, so that ultimately all trucks are the cleanest, 2010 or newer models.

This draft regulation addresses the largest unregulated source of diesel emissions in the state. Between 2010 and 2020, ARB estimates that the regulation will prevent 11,000 premature deaths associated with exposure to diesel exhaust, and save roughly $500 million in health care costs during that same period.

"If passed by the Board later this year, this regulation will save thousands of lives and help the hundreds of thousands more who suffer from asthma and other respiratory ailments," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "While we are sensitive to the economic impacts this measure poses to truckers, the public health benefits are far too great not to move forward."

This regulation is projected to cost the trucking industry somewhere between $3.6 to $5.5 billion from 2010 to 2021, which ARB staff estimates will add less than a penny apiece to products hauled by these trucks that people buy, ranging from athletic shoes to television sets. ARB is in the midst of allocating $1 billion in Proposition 1B funds, much of which will go toward helping truckers retrofit and replace trucks.

Other entities, including the U.S. EPA and several California ports are offering financial assistance.

Emissions from diesel particulate matter are associated with causing a variety of health effects including premature death and a number of heart and lung diseases. A recent study looking at the health impacts to West Oakland residents posed by diesel emissions estimates the yearly non-cancer health impacts resulting from exposure to port-related diesel particulate matter emissions in the area: 18 premature deaths (age 30 and older), 290 asthma attacks, 2,600 days of work loss, and 15,000 minor restricted activity episodes. Most of the risk comes from diesel particulate matter emissions from trucks traveling on nearby freeways and marine vessel traffic in the San Francisco Bay Area unrelated to the Port of Oakland.

ARB has put in place stringent regulations to curb the health risk to Californians. The most recent adopted regulations to limit diesel emissions affect cargo handling equipment, transport refrigeration units, truck idling, off-road construction equipment, harbor craft, ship auxiliary engines, port drayage trucks and ships-at-berth. Also, the introduction of cleaner fuel for railroads and ships has contributed to lower pollution around the ports and rail yards.

Later this year, ARB will also consider adopting another proposed regulation involving ocean-going vessel main engines to further reduce diesel soot. State control measures will contribute to an approximate decrease of 80 percent in harmful emissions by 2015.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy cost, see our web site at http://www.arb.ca.gov/

Find out:

How to retrofit with diesel particulate filters

air pollution
particle pollution

EPA Provides Further Direction on Implementing Fine Particle Pollution Air Quality Standard

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule further outlining steps that state, local and tribal governments must take to reduce fine particle pollution (PM2.5). The rule describes how to apply the New Source Review (NSR) program at facilities that emit fine particles. EPA's NSR program requires industrial facilities to obtain permits outlining emissions controls for target air pollutants before they begin construction.

The rule affects areas that do not meet the 1997 PM2.5 standards. Those areas must meet the standards by 2010.

Today's rule complements the agency's PM2.5 final implementation rule issued on April 25, 2007, which addresses the non-New Source Review provisions of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. A related rule, proposed on Sept. 21, 2007, would complete the PM2.5 preconstruction review program framework by establishing increments, significant impact levels, and significant monitoring concentrations for EPA's Prevention of Significant Deterioration program. Together, these three rules will establish the framework for implementing preconstruction permit components of the 1997 PM2.5 air quality standards.

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EPA - NSR

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How to reduce particulate matter from prime power and emergency generators

air pollution
particle pollution

ARB Proposes to Approve Valley Particulate Matter Plan

Hearing set for May 22 in Fresno

SACRAMENTO - The Air Resources Board released a staff report today that recommends approval of a particulate matter pollution control plan for the San Joaquin Valley that would meet federal health standards on time.

The Board will vote on the staff recommendation -- posted today at http://www.blogger.com/www.arb.ca.gov/planning/sip/sjvpm2.5.htm -- at a hearing in Fresno on May 22. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District approved the fine particulate matter state implementation plan April 30.

Local measures such as a strengthened residential wood smoke rule and one of the state's toughest regulations on boilers and glass furnaces will combine with ARB's recently passed off-road construction rule and the upcoming proposed truck regulation to allow the Valley to meet federal fine particulate matter standards by 2014. Parts of the Valley already comply with the particulate matter standard, with southern regions suffering from the worst air quality.

"The combined efforts of ARB and the local air district are lowering soot levels in the Valley every year," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "The question we need to ask Valley residents is, have we accounted for every pollution source? Now that this report is out on the street we will be looking for public input and suggestions leading up to the Board vote later this month."

The plan reduces fine particulate matter exposure by lowering oxides of nitrogen emissions by almost 50 percent and fine particulate matter emissions by over 25 percent from 2005 levels. The plan is based on the $27 million "California Regional Particulate Matter Study," which provides the strongest scientific foundation in the nation for a particulate matter plan.

ARB, the Air District and the United States Environmental Protection Agency will participate in a technology forum to be held at University California, Merced on July 9 to explore new advancements that will be needed to obtain future reductions to meet the U.S. EPA's new more stringent standard for which a revised plan will be due in 2012. In the meantime, ARB will continue to help fund pollution-cutting projects in the Valley through Proposition 1B funds.

Fine particulate matter emissions are associated with causing a variety of health effects including premature death and a number of heart and lung diseases.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy cost, see our web site at http://www.arb.ca.gov/

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California Air Resources Board

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How to reduce particulate matter using diesel particulate filters from CleanAIR Systems

air pollution
particle pollution

American Lung Association Issues State of the Air Report

First City Outside California (Pittsburth) Tops One of the Most-Polluted Lists

National Trends Show that Declines in Ozone and Particle Pollution Have Stalled

The American Lung Association issued its annual report card on air pollution today, ranking cities most affected by three types of pollution: short-term particle pollution, year-round particle pollution and ozone pollution. For the first time ever, a city outside California, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, tops one of the most polluted lists in the ninth consecutive American Lung Association State of the Air report.

Pittsburgh moved to the top of the list of cities most polluted by short-term levels of particle pollution, a deadly cocktail of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols that can spike dangerously for hours to weeks on end. The body’s natural defenses, coughing and sneezing, fail to keep these microscopic particles from burrowing deep within the lungs, triggering serious problems such as breathing, asthma and heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and even early death. Pittsburgh also ranks second on the list of cities with the most year-round particle pollution while Los Angeles again claims the first spot this year.

Los Angeles, despite being ranked atop two of the three most-polluted lists, saw continued improvements in air quality, dropping its year-round particle pollution levels by nearly one-third during the last decade, and saw solid improvement in levels of ozone or “smog,” a gas formed most often when sunlight reacts with vapors emitted when motor vehicles, factories, power plants and other sources burn fuel. Ozone irritates the respiratory tract and causes health problems like asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing, chest pain and even premature death.

“The air quality in several cities has improved, but in others, declines in pollution have stalled. The trends tell us loud and clear that we need to do more to protect Americans from breathing air that’s simply hazardous to their health,” said Bernadette Toomey, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Lung Association. “We applaud the aggressive efforts of Los Angeles to control particle pollution. It’s proof that making a commitment to clean up pays off.”

Several cities across the country lost footing and slipped closer to the top of the list of most ozone-polluted cities, including San Diego, Atlanta, Charlotte and the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metro area. Birmingham, Alabama, joined the list for the very first time, ranking at number 22 of most ozone-polluted cities, while the five worst cities on this list actually saw modest improvements. Fresno, California, for example, experienced a remarkable decline in the number of high ozone days since its peak in 2001-2003.

Due to the lead time for the State of the Air report, the American Lung Association used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 1997 standard for ozone levels rather than the new tighter standard announced on March 12, 2008.

“If we were to measure the number of unhealthy days against the new ozone standard, it would show that ozone pollution is worse than the report indicates,” said Ms. Toomey. “Even with these stricter ozone standards, Americans are being denied the health protection they deserve under the Clean Air Act.”

National trends: declines in ozone and particle pollution have stalled.

New this year, the State of the Air report provides online charts showing the trends in ozone and year-round particle pollution in each of the 25 most polluted cities. The ozone charts cover data from 1996 to 2006, while the year-round particle pollution charts show trends from 2000-2006. In addition, the report incorporates the EPA analyses of ozone trend data from 1990 to 2006 and particle pollution trend data for 2000-2006. The State of the Air trend charts and the EPA analyses confirm that air pollution levels dropped in the early years of this century, but have leveled off in the last three years, particularly when controlled for weather.

Other Key Findings of State of the Air 2008:

- One in 10 people in the U.S. live in areas with unhealthful levels of all three types of pollution: ozone, short-term and year-round particle pollution.
- Two of five people in the U.S live in counties that have un­healthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution.
- Nearly one-third of the U.S. population lives in areas with unhealthful levels of ozone.
- Over one quarter of the people in the U.S. live in an area with unhealthful short-term levels of particle pollution.
- One in six people in the U.S. live in an area with unhealthful year-round levels of particle pollution.

The cities identified in the lists below most often include the respective metropolitan areas.

Top Ten U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution: 1) Pittsburgh, Pa.; 2) Los Angeles/Long Beach/Riverside, Calif.; 3) Fresno/Madera, Calif.; 4) Bakersfield, Calif.; 5) Birmingham, Ala.; 6) Logan, Utah 7) Salt Lake City, Utah ; 8) Sacramento, Calif.; 9) Detroit, Mich.; 10) Baltimore, Md./Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia.

Top Ten U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution: 1) Los Angeles/Long Beach/Riverside, Calif.; 2) Pittsburgh, Pa.; 3) Bakersfield, Calif.; 4) Birmingham, Ala.; 5) Visalia/Porterville, Calif.; 6) Atlanta, Ga.; 7) Cincinnati, Ohio; 8) Fresno/Madera, Calif. 9) Hanford/Corcoran, Calif.; 10) Detroit, Mich.

Top Ten U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Ozone: 1) Los Angeles/Long Beach/Riverside, Calif.; 2) Bakersfield, Calif.; 3) Visalia/Porterville, Calif.; 4) Houston, Texas; 5) Fresno/Madera, Calif. 6) Sacramento, Calif. 7) Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; 8) New York, N.Y./Newark, N.J.; 9) Baltimore, Md./Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia; 10) Baton Rouge, La.

To see what grade (A to F) your community’s air quality earned, visit the American Lung Association website at http://www.lungusa.org/. Tips are also available on how to protect yourself and your family from air pollution.

air pollution
particle pollution