Particles, your Particles, your health health

& your lungs& your lungs

Why care about air Why care about air pollution?pollution?

Sonoma County air is Sonoma County air is clean compared to clean compared to other areas, but SF other areas, but SF air blows hereair blows here

Sonoma County is in Sonoma County is in an air basin that an air basin that connects with the SF connects with the SF areaarea

What is an air basin?What is an air basin?

Watershed - an area where water flows downhill and collects

Air basin - a region where air collects

Particles and your Particles and your lungslungs

Particulates are solids Particulates are solids or liquid droplets or liquid droplets suspended in the airsuspended in the air

With every breath you With every breath you could inhale more than could inhale more than 10 million fine particles 10 million fine particles

Particles kill more Particles kill more Americans each year Americans each year than traffic accidentsthan traffic accidents

Particulate PollutionParticulate PollutionChicago Aug 16, 2000`PM2.5 < 10 ug/m3

Chicago, August 26, 2000PM2.5 = 35 ug/m3

Glacier National Park PM2.5 7.6 ug/m3

Glacier National Park PM2.5 21.7 ug/m3

Source: www.mwhazecam.net and Introduction to Visibility, Malm

Particle Sources & FormationParticle Sources & Formation

Primary Particles(directly emitted)

Secondary Particles(from precursor gases)

Other(sea salt)

Other(sea salt)

SoilDust

SoilDust

Carbon(Soot)

Carbon(Soot)

MetalsMetals

NOx

Ammonia

VOCsOrganicCarbon

OrganicCarbon

SO2

AmmoniumSulfate

AmmoniumSulfate

AmmoniumNitrate

AmmoniumNitrate

Composition of PM tells us about Composition of PM tells us about the sources and formation processesthe sources and formation processes

Gas

Particle

Particles Come in Different SizesParticles Come in Different Sizes

Blood cells are 6-8 microns across

Large ParticlesLarge Particles “Coarse” - between 2.5

and 10 microns Settle out of the air after a

few hours Dust from roads, tires, field

and construction Trapped by mucus in nose, Trapped by mucus in nose,

throat or bronchial tubes throat or bronchial tubes before they get to lungs or before they get to lungs or enter bloodstreamenter bloodstream

Small Small ParticlesParticles

Small ParticlesSmall Particles Solid or liquid 50% from diesel emissions 50% formed in atmosphere

from combustion emissions Remain in the air for many

days “Fine” - between 2.5 and

0.1 microns “Ultrafine” – less than 0.1

micron

Fine Particles & HealthFine Particles & Health Fine & ultrafine particles can Fine & ultrafine particles can

pass deep into lungspass deep into lungs Ultrafines can travel through Ultrafines can travel through

bloodstream and enter cellsbloodstream and enter cells Known health problemsKnown health problems

– Lung irritation & alveolar Lung irritation & alveolar scarringscarring

– Increased risk of heart diseaseIncreased risk of heart disease– Shorter life expectancyShorter life expectancy

Life Expectancy vs. PMLife Expectancy vs. PM2.52.5

Why are particle levels Why are particle levels high?high?

Almost all due to Almost all due to mobile sourcesmobile sources

50% formed from 50% formed from emissions of emissions of combustion gasescombustion gases

50% emissions from 50% emissions from diesel enginesdiesel engines– Trains, ships, trucksTrains, ships, trucks– OLD vehiclesOLD vehicles

What's being done?What's being done? Sulfur content in diesel fuel Sulfur content in diesel fuel

reduced from 500 ppm to 15 reduced from 500 ppm to 15 ppmppm

Particle filters required for old Particle filters required for old diesel vehiclesdiesel vehicles

Stricter particle emission Stricter particle emission standards for new diesel standards for new diesel enginesengines

California - School bus retrofit California - School bus retrofit program program