By Simone Butler
Arizona is surely one of Mother Nature’s pride and joys. The towering mountains that pepper the state’s landscape, the famous red rock country in Sedona, and the wave rock formations in Paria Canyon all are sights to behold. However, the Valley area has been suffering record-high levels of a certain type of environmental taint: air pollution. At times, a thick brown cloud of pollutants will loom over Phoenix, Scottsdale and their surrounding areas, and this contaminated cocktail promotes asthmatic complications and other respiratory problems. Measures have been taken to combat this pollution, but there is still much to learn and much to do to ensure our air quality doesn’t become as hazardous as that in Beijing.
Roughly 40 years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed the Clean Air Act, in an effort to target six common pollutants in the atmosphere that include trapped ozone pollutants (volatile organic compounds, or VOCs), particulate matter (dust), carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and lead. Our ozone and particulate matter levels have been violating the standard since the mid-1990s. These impurities are by-products from automobiles, chemical plants, factories and other industry structures that impact the Valley. On particularly polluted days or days where high air pollution is expected, no-burn-day restrictions are set. These no-burn days enforce wood-burning limitations, prohibiting fire pits, wood stoves and fireplaces from being lit.
The diminished air quality can be lethal for children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems, but can affect everyone. Extended exposure to fouled air may result in asthma attacks, heart disease, or curtailing of lifespans. Currently, there are some monitoring technologies in place that constantly assess the air in places where air pollution has been moderately high in the past, but they do not sufficiently survey all of the Valley’s air. When the air quality reaches dangerous levels, alerts are relayed, advising people to stay indoors.
Over the years, there have been conscious efforts made in improving the Valley’s air quality, and those endeavors have been successful to an extent: back in 2011, Phoenix ranked 2nd in cities with the worst air quality nationwide. In 2012, that ranking dropped to 7th, and as of April 2013, Phoenix’s rating again fell to the 18th most air-polluted metropolitan region—a stark improvement in just a couple of years.
Still, the levels are alarming, and close monitoring must still be adhered to. Individuals from both the EPA and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) agree that regulation can only do so much. A conscious effort to help alleviate the atmospheric strain must be made by everybody.
You can ride a bike or walk, utilize public transportation, drive less, or carpool.
More Information
According to stateoftheair.org, Maricopa County has for both the Ozone and 24-hour Particle Pollution a grade of F.
- In regards to Ozone pollution, we rank 23rd in the nation.
- In regards to Year Round Particle pollution, we rank 18th in the nation.
- In regards to Short-Term Particle pollution, we rank 21st in the nation.
In Maricopa County, the 8-hour average ozone concentration is 0.083 ppm, when the national standard is 0.075 ppm. Maricopa County is among the worst in comparison to the national average of 0.07 ppm.
The 8-hour national average carbon monoxide concentration is 3 ppm, when Maricopa County has 9 ppm average.
Annual standard of nitrogen dioxide concentration is 26 ppb, when Maricopa County’s is 53 ppb, and is among the worst. The national average is 8 ppb.
Annual sulfur dioxide concentration in Maricopa County is 9 ppb, which falls far below the national sulfur dioxide standard of 75 ppb – and is significantly better than the national average of 19 ppb.
To find out more information on the latest wood-burning restrictions and other no-burn-day information, you can call the Maricopa County Air Quality Department at 602-506-6400.
There’s an app for Droid and iOS called Clean Air Make More that is specifically tailored for Maricopa County’s air quality. The app alerts you during times of high pollution, and gives crucial information regarding health and air pollution prevention measures.
air-quality.findthedata.org/l/32/Maricopa-County
Photo by Jim Trotter
