OZONE & BAD HEALTH DAYS:
Ozone is one of the Criteria Air Pollutants that most directly affects health, yet it is not included in EPA estimate systems like the National Emission Inventory (NEI), nor self-reported systems like the EPA’s TRI or MADEP’s Air Source Registration or TUR program. This is partly due to the fact that Ozone is not typically released directly by a facility or operation, but is formed by the mixture of certain other air pollutants in the atmosphere, including nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons (or VOCs) produced by the burning of fossil fuels in motor vehicles and power plants, along with the presence of intense, high-energy sunlight occurring in the summer months. Ozone is thus monitored directly. Both the EPA and the MADEP report daily on air quality forecasts for ground level Ozone, predicting when air quality will be good, moderate, or unhealthful, especially in the warmer months of May through September.
Ozone irritates mucous membranes, causing reduced lung function, nasal congestion, throat irritation, and reduced resistance to infection.
Ozone is toxic to vegetation, inhibiting growth and causing leaf damage.
SOURCE: 2004 DEP Air Report
Air Pollution Ozone Trends Statewide:
Statewide Ozone levels and their resulting days of poor air quality have decreased over the years. However, a new EPA 8-hour standard for Ozone, rather than the previously recorded 1-hour Ozone standard, is more difficult to meet and has thus raised the number of poor air quality days recorded.
STATEWIDE
1-hr Ozone Excedance Days and Total Exceedances 1987-2004
1-hour standard = 0.125 ppm
STATEWIDE
8-hr Ozone Exceedance Days and Total Exceedances 1987-2004
8-hour standard = 0.085 ppm
SOURCE: 2004 DEP Air Report
Air Pollution Ozone Trends in Essex County:
Essex County monitors show a similar trend in that while the 1-hour Ozone standard is met most of the time, the new 8-hour standard results in higher numbers of exceedances. For instance, where Lynn’s monitor only showed two exceedance days under the 1-hour standard in 2002, there were 14 exceedance days of the 8-hour standard in the same year. In addition, based on the graphs, the Lynn monitoring station seems to consistently report the highest number of exceedance days for the 8-hour standard.
1 hour Ozone Exceedance Day Trends 1985-2004
Standard=0.125
8 hour Ozone Exceedance Day Trends 1985-2004
Standard=0.085
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