Caution: Air May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Yowsa. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources just released an air quality warning for tomorrow:
July 8 (Tuesday), Levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), will likely remain at or above the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG), threshhold of 35 ug/m3. Hot and humid Air flows reaching Vermont from the Ohio Valley aloft should allow PM2.5 levels to continue to rise slightly above already elevated levels, especially in the northern half of the state. On Monday, July 7, PM2.5 levels are running between 30 and 35 ug/m3 across the state. Over the course of the next 36 hours PM2.5 levels should continue to rise under favorable air trajectories and lack of significant precipitation to scavenge the PM25 from the atmosphere.
I find it a bit creepy that they never actually say what these particles are that we should be concerned about. Regardless, if you’re local and outside tomorrow, try not to breathe too much.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Hi. The pm2.5 particles of most concern are those from auto and diesel emmissions, specifically the nanoparticle component in the 20 to 120 nanometer particle size range. Upon exposure (such as the episode you in the NE are in now, or going near or on an interstate) these nanoparticles are measureable in the blood stream within an hour. Among many effects (see UCLA’s Health Effects Institute group) they interfere with small blood vessel muscle relaxation…basically causing the “smokers face” of capillary constriction. If you are within a 1/2 mile of an interstate your chance of getting Leukemia is 300% greater. Up to 500,000 of these nanoparticles per cubic centimeter of air have been measured on busy roadways near schools in tests. The content or makeup can be seen at the VIEWS website here:http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/dev/web/AnnualSummaryDev/Composition.aspx
Basically it’s acid rain causing ammonium nitrates and sulfates (can make the moisture in the air have a pH commonly near 3 - coke is about 4.2), elemental carbon, organometallic carbon (gives me a killer headache), and of course a varied assortment of the usual hydrocarbon combustion products such as benzene/mercury/arsenic…. you name it.
Another good place to start is with VIEWS main page. Click ’spacial patterns” on the left, and then under “parameters” select “FM” which stands for Fine Mass (pm2.5). The resulting US map shows average, worst, or best 20% days for all monitors within the IMPROVE system which are found in mostly parks and forests. Here:
http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/views/Web/AnnualSummary/ContourMaps.aspx
The EPA’s site Airdata can give you your area or cities average level. Select “reports and maps”, then ’select geographic area”, then your state and “go”, then “monitor locator” and select pm2.5 and the year (i suggest 2007) to find the id number of your nearest monitor, then back to page with monitor locator on it and instead select “monitor value” and you will see the annual average. Santa Fe, NM averages 4.8 and the worst parts of Los Angeles or DC (or shreveport, LA during the summer low wind months) can avg 18ug’s/m3. A very good feel good day in Vermont (when the jet stream driven cold front “cleans” the regional haze away) commonly measures 2 or 3 ug’s. Airdata here:
http://www.epa.gov/air/data/index.html
Get a true HEPA floor standing filter from SEARS or Lowe’s, let it run 24/7, and you’ll get a lot out (99.97% effective for particles 300 nanometers and larger). You’ll need a “clean room” ULPA for the most harmful nanoparticles. ULPA’s get 99.997% of 0.1 micron (100nanometers) and larger. Heart disease and cancer are all proven results of breathing 6,000 liters of this toxic air per day. Sort of like smoking cigs but less concentrated and all day long.
Buy a true hybrid (97% reduced emmissions !!!!), like the Prius or Civic/Insight, and breathe easier !