Improving our air quality

Got air quality? The answer appears to be a resounding “no.” The air has been bad lately, dangerously bad in fact. We’re not getting hit by smoke from wildfires, yet the amount of particulate matter in the air is high. The World Health Organization just set a new recommended standard for fine particulate matter.  The environment should, on average, have less than 5 micrograms of fine particulate matter (aka “soot”) per cubic meter. As I write this, the air in my home has between 5 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter but the outside air in Los Angeles has over thirty. 

Operational challenges at Los Angeles ports are contributing to the poor air.  Also, in general cool air causes soot to accumulate nearer to the ground. 

Today’s bad air is part of a long-term trend. After decades of improvement, air quality in Los Angeles is getting worse again. 2020 saw 157 bad air days for ozone and 30 bad air days for soot (fine particulate matter) even though March 2020 brought a couple of weeks of actually clean air, and even though many people drove fewer miles than the previous year.

Fine particulate matter and ozone are health hazards, so if you are not monitoring air quality, you may wish to start. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has a map that can be found here.  They also have an app (SCAQMD) that you can use to check air quality and see recent alerts. You can learn more about the app and also sign up for alerts here.

When air quality is problematic, SCAQMD designates certain days as “no burn days.” On these days, burning wood is prohibited by law. If you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove, you must refrain from using it on these days.  SCAQMD has a “check before you burn” map so you can check whether wood-burning is permitted before you burn wood.

Not burning wood on “no burn days” is just one way you can contribute to improving air quality for everyone.

There are other steps we can take as individuals to decrease our pollution footprint. Making some simple changes can help create a culture of awareness about air quality, and that can help us return to the days of improving air quality.

Next up: Electric leaf blowers and other garden tools for improving air quality

Watch this space!

Photo of Los Angeles by Doc Searls (Flickr)