What We Do

Monitor air pollutionRegulate industrial air emissionsTeach people about air quality

We coverButler, Clermont, Hamilton and

Warren counties.

A little air quality history….Cincinnati City Hall

1940 Present Day

A little air quality history….Cincinnati passed its first smoke ordinance in 1881

Office of the Chief Smoke Inspector was created in 1907

1st Annual Cleaner Air Week took place in October 1949

Excessive Car Smoke Law Passed in 1957Automobiles could not release excessive smoke or drivers would get a ticket; drivers also had to get their cars tested annually for exhaust fumes.

Question & AnswerWhat is the main source of air pollution in Cincinnati?

A. Factories

B. Cars

C. Airplanes

B.) Car exhaust contains dangerous pollutants that can negatively affect our air quality and health.

What else causes air pollution?

What else causes air pollution?

Air Pollution:The Dirty Half Dozen

1. Ground Level Ozone: main source of smog:car exhaust, gas vapors, industrial emissions.

2. Particulate Matter (PM): soot, dust and dirt in the air.

3. Nitrogen Dioxides (NOx): car exhaust and power plants; another main source of smog

4. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): car exhaust.

5. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): burning coal at power plants.

6. Lead: emissions from motor vehicles and industrial sources.

Question & AnswerWhat happens in the summer when there is a lot of air pollution and it get really hot & humid?

What is Smog?Ground level ozone+ particulate matter

+ sunlightSMOG

Ozone is a combination of NOx and VOCs.

NOx is short for nitrogen dioxides, a pollutant from cars and power plants.

VOCs are fumes from paint, cleaning supplies and pesticides.

Good vs. Bad Air Quality Day

How do we decide when to issue a smog alert?

Air Quality IndexThe Air Quality Index (AQI) shows how clean or polluted the air is each day.

Air Quality Index Protect Your HealthGood 0-50 No health impacts are expected when air quality in this range.

Moderate 51-100 Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

101-150 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

Unhealthy 151-200 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

Very Unhealthy

201-300 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.

SouthwestOhioAir.org

Next week (April 30 – May 4) isAir Quality Awareness Week!

How can you do your share for clean air?

Don’t Idle!Idling is leaving a vehicle’s engine running

when it is parked or not in use.

This often happens when people are:• Waiting to pick someone up

• Running errands• Sitting at the drive-thru

FACT: Idling a car for 30 seconds uses more gas than turning it off and on!

How Does Idling Affect the Environment?

Car exhaust contains pollutants:NOx and carbon dioxides

How Does Idling Affect Your Health?

Inhaling exhaust from idling vehicles can:Aggravate asthma:

A disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath,

chest tightness and coughing.

How Does Idling Affect Your Health?

Inhaling exhaust from idling vehicles can:Cause headaches

Induce coughing or difficulty breathingDecrease lung functionWorsen heart conditions

Lead to chronic bronchitis

What are Some Tips forReducing Idling?

Walk, bike or take the bus.

Avoid drive-thrus.

Don’t use remote starters.

Don’t try to warm up the car by letting it sit in the driveway with the engine running.

The best way to warm up the car is to drive.

Do Your Share for Clean Air!Recycle!

Compost!

Do Your Share for Clean Air!

Conserve Energy!•Turn off the TV.• Turn off the computer and video games

when you finish.• In the summer, turn up the AC to 78 degrees.

• Turn off unused lights.• Switch to CFLs!

Conserve Water!• Take shorter showers.• Only run the laundry with a full load.• Wash dishes by hand so you run the dishwasher less.

Bright Idea!

Replacing just one regular light bulb with a CFL can save 600 pounds of coal at a coal-burning electric plant.

What do light bulbs have to do with air quality?

Pop QuizHigh ozone pollution levels are most likely to occur duringa. cold, rainy daysb. cool, windy nightsc. hot, sunny days

Which of the following would reduce ozone pollution?a. Carpool or use public transportationb. Limit your speed to 55 m.p.h. on highwaysc. Have your car tuned and inspected regularlyd. All of the above

Ground level ozone isa. one of the main parts of smogb. formed on hot, sunny days when (NOx) and (VOCs) combine with sunlightc. makes it difficult to breathed. all of the above

Pop QuizDuring ozone season, people can help reduce ozone bya. mowing the lawn after 8 p.m.b. carpooling or by reducing use of cars/vehicles on days when high ozone levels are predictedc. limiting the use of oil-based paints and other VOCsd. all of the above

The Air Quality Index measuresa. whether or not the sun will shine today.b. the weather forecastc. how much air pollution there is today.

Which statements are true about car idling?a. Idling is bad for our health.b. Idling causes unnecessary pollution.c. Idling uses less gas than turning the car off and back on.d. all of the abovee. A and Bf. B and C

Hybrid CarsRegular cars use just gas to power the engine.Hybrid cars use a battery, a motor and gas to power the engine.