AIR POLLUTION: GROUND LEVEL OZONE

Case Study: Lake Charles Louisiana

Cyril Adams Oshiomhole

December 5, 2012 Environmental Health: Assignment #4 HUID 40888195 E-101

Dr. Harvard O

Ozone: Good Up High, Bad Nearby

INTRODUCTION
Ground ozone level is one of the secondary pollutants regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). State and local environmental agencies also keep track of this pollutant because of its deleterious effect on humans and the eco-system. In this paper, Lake Charles Louisiana will be used as a case study to describe: The old and current trend of ground level ozone The sources of ground level ozone The health/risk consequences of exposure to this pollutant The community risk levels The ease of availability of monitoring data and the sources of data

Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive oxygen species that plays a dual role in the quality of the air around us. Ozone in the troposphere (lower atmosphere) is a pollutant, unlike the good ozone in the stratosphere which absorbs ultraviolet radiation. Good ozone breaks down in the presence of CFCs through reactions with Chlorine (Cl)1. Tropospheric, or ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Ozone is likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments. Ozone can also be transported long distances by wind. For this reason, even rural areas can experience high ozone levels2. Ground level ozone is the main constituent of smog. Ozone (Smog) is commonly associated with poor visibility in areas with high ozone levels

BACKGROUND
Ground-level ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms. The chemical structure of ozone is the same whether at ground-level or above the earth, but it is unhealthy to breathe at ground-level. Sources of Ozone

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http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/gooduphigh/ozone.html#1 EPA: Basic Information; http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/basic.html

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Ground-level ozone is not emitted directly into the air (and so is not a primary pollutant) but is created by a chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOX and VOC. The Lake Charles Area is dangerously close to not meeting Federal air pollution standards. And that could eventually affect everyone3. If Lake Charles and its environs do not meet the EPA standards, prospective industries could go elsewhere in order to avoid heavy environmental taxes. This no doubt will harm the economy of the region.

METHOD
Most of the information used in this paper was primarily sourced from EPA website. EPA website also provided some of the links that were sited. Both Google and Bing search engines were used extensively. Common search phrases used include: Lake Charles LA Ozone data Louisiana Air pollution data EPA local Ozone data Effects of ground level ozone Ozone Ozone and health

Numerous websites were view during the writing of this paper. The most interesting finding was the lack of current ozone data in both the Louisiana DEQ and EPA.

DISCUSSION
HISTORICAL TRENDS
The trend over the years appears to be precarious. However recent trend shows a sustained increase in the level of ground level ozone in Lake Charles Louisiana as shown in figure 1.
Theresa Schmidt; Ozone pollution threatens economic development, http://www.kplctv.com/story/18838360/ozone-pollution-threatens-economic-development
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Figure 1: Ozone Air Quality Lake Charles LA

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is sounding the alarm, because within the next couple of years, this area could be considered out of compliance-- not because the air is worse, but because the standard is likely to get stricter5. Historical timeline for ozone regulation by EPA include: 1971: U.S. EPA established a 1-hour standard of 0.08 parts per million (ppm) for ground level ozone 1979: U.S. EPA revised the 1-hour standard to 0.12 ppm 1997: U.S. EPA replaced the 1-Hour standard with an 8-hour health standard of 0.085 ppm Three states and industry challenged the new standard 2001: U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 1997 8-hour health standard 2004: 1997 8-hour health standard for ozone became effective

http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/ozone.html#ozloc Theresa Schmidt, Ozone pollution threatens economic development; http://www.kplctv.com/story/18838360/ozone-pollution-threatens-economic-development

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2005: U.S. EPA revoked the 1-hour standard 2008: U.S. EPA significantly strengthened the health standard for ozone to be set at 0.075 ppm 2009: U.S. EPA announced it will reconsider the 2008 8-hour health standard 2010: U.S. EPA proposes to strengthen the 8-hour primary standard to a level within a range of 0.060 0.070 ppm and establish a distinct, cumulative seasonal standard within a range of 7 to 15 ppm-hours

CURRENT TREND
Data of the current trend of the ground level of ozone could not be found on the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). However search on the EPA website for local ozone levels led to Air Now website: http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=372. This site showed a forecast that included ozone levels. The ozone level forecast was found to be good Figure 2: Current Air Quality Forecast Lake Charles LA.

Under the Clean Air Act, EPA has set protective health-based standards for ozone in the air we breathe. EPA, state, and cities have instituted a variety of multi-faceted programs to meet these

http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=372

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health-based standards. Throughout the country, additional programs are being put into place to cut NOx and VOC emissions from vehicles, industrial facilities, and electric utilities. Programs are also aimed at reducing pollution by reformulating fuels and consumer/commercial products, such as paints and chemical solvents that contain VOC. Voluntary programs also encourage communities to adopt practices, such as carpooling, to reduce harmful emissions.

COMMUNITY RISK
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone The NAAQA has a primary and secondary standard: Primary Standards: Primary standards, also known as health standards, are limits set to protect public health, including the health of sensitive populations such as people with asthma, children, and the elderly. Secondary Standards: Secondary standards are set to protect public welfare, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings. Ozone and the Air Quality Index The Air Quality Index (AQI) was discussed in the first lesson of this course. The AQI reported to the public is based on the pollutant providing the highest individual AQI. It does not take into account cumulative effects of multiple air pollutants. Most often in the U.S., the AQI is determined by either ozone or fine particulates (PM2.5). If you know the AQI, you can back calculate the ozone or other priority pollutant concentration using the online calculator provided on the EPA's AIRNow website: http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqi_calc.aqi_conc_calc.

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Table1: Ozone and the Air Quality Index

Ozone 8-hr Avg. Concentration* AQI Values** Level of Concern & Cautionary Statements

0-59ppb 0-50 Good

Air Little or no health risk

60-75ppb 51-100 Moderate

People unusually sensitive may be mildly affected

76-5ppb7 101-150

96-115 ppb 151-200

116-374 ppb 201-300

375ppb+ 300-500 Hazardous

Every one should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors

Unhealthy Unhealthy Very for Sensitive Groups

People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should limit prolonged exertion People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should limit prolonged exertion, everyone else should limit prolonged exertion

Unhealthy
People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should avoid any outdoor activity, everyone else should avoid prolonged exertion

* The top value is obtained by averaging ozone concentration over 8 hours ** The AQI value is typically the number published in your local newspaper or weather report that indicates the air quality. If the primary pollutant listed is ozone, you can back-calculate the ozone in ppb from the AQI. To do this calculation go to: http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqi_calc.aqi_conc_calc

EFFECTS OF GROUND LEVEL OZONE

Effects of Ozone on Lungs Because of its potent oxidizing ability, ozone is extremely irritating to the respiratory system. Ozone is less soluble than other irritating gases, allowing it to more effectively penetrate the tracheobronchial tree to the pulmonary regions where it causes injury to lung tissue and induces an inflammatory response. It has been shown that exposure to ozone reduces lung function and aggravates preexisting respiratory disease such as asthma. Emergency department visits, daily hospital admissions and mortality all increase during episodes of high ozone concentration. Page 7

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Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. "Bad" ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue. Healthy people also experience difficulty breathing when exposed to ozone pollution. Because ozone forms in hot weather, anyone who spends time outdoors in the summer may be affected, particularly children, outdoor workers and people exercising. Lake Charles communities are likely going to face decline in their health if ozone levels continue to rise. Table 1 above shows advisories that follow different levels of ozone concentrations in the troposphere. High levels of ozone increases the burden of both respiratory and heart diseases, reduces the quality of life of communities and ultimately adds to the cost of healthcare in those communities. Ozone and visibility: Air pollution strongly affects visibility. This is because particles in the atmosphere scatter sunlight in all directions. Ozone and fine particulates tend to be highly correlated since they are produced by the same source gases. Poor visibility is one of the major causes of both road and air traffic accidents. Hence high ozone level can deplete the traffic flow to the community and hence will also reduce economic activities. Effects of ozone on crop production In addition to harming human health, ozone has detrimental effects on plants -- including both crops and natural ecosystems such as forests. Ground-level or "bad" ozone also damages vegetation and ecosystems. It leads to reduced agricultural crop and commercial forest yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased susceptibility to diseases, pests and other stresses such as harsh weather. In the United States alone, ground-level ozone is responsible for an estimated $500 million in reduced crop production each year7. Ground-level ozone also damages the foliage of trees and other plants, affecting the landscape of cities, national parks and forests, and recreation areas.

Bill Holmes, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment; Elevated CO2 and Ozone: Causes & Consequences
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Figure 3: The Effect of Ozone on plant growth

In figure 3 above are plants grown simultaneously in plant chambers where ozone concentrations were controlled at 15 ppb, 80 ppb and 100 ppb. Plants vary widely in their sensitivity to ozone exposure.

Figure 4: Effect of Ozone Seasonal Concentration on crop yield

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Global Ozone Project; www.go3project.com/ Global Ozone Project; www.go3project.com/

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The chart on the right shows crop yields for exposures to different levels of ozone. On this chart, cotton is the most sensitive, its yield being approximately halved when grown in the presence of 120 ppb of ozone. Cotton is closely followed by peanuts and soybeans, then winter wheat, field corn and sorghum in terms of sensitivity to ozone. Notice that, even 60 ppb of ozone causes ~20% loss in yield for cotton, peanuts and soybeans. Ozone has a very large economic impact on farming. Current crop loss due to ozone exposure has been estimated to be between $1 billion and $3 billion annually in the U.S. alone. Ozone as a greenhouse gas Ozone as a greenhouse gas contributes to global warming. The Earth is warmed by visible light from the sun and cools by emitting infrared (IR) radiation. The Earth's atmosphere contains water vapor, CO2 and other gases that reabsorb some of the outgoing IR radiation, thus warming the surface. Without this "greenhouse effect", the Earth would be a frozen planet. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing every year due to burning of fossil fuels, biomass burning and deforestation. The concentration of CO2 has increased from ~280 parts-per-million (ppm) prior to the industrial revolution to its current value of ~390 ppm and is increasing by about 1.3 ppm every year. There is now a scientific consensus that a global warming of the Earth has begun due to the increased burden of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and this warming will continue to increase well into the next century. Carbon dioxide is not the only anthropogenic greenhouse gas. CO2 accounts for only 54% of the increase in radiative forcing that has occurred since the industrial revolution. The CFCs and other halogens are potent greenhouse gases that have contributed 18%, increases in methane (from cattle, rice paddies, etc.) have contributed 16%, and ozone has contributed 12%10.

CONCLUSION
The ground level ozone layer in Lake Charles Louisiana appears to be going up. In the near future Lake Charles may not be able to meet the EPA standards for ground level ozone. If this happens, there would economic and health consequences due to the deleterious effect of loss of businesses and the toxic effect of the pollutant.

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Global Ozone Project; www.go3project.com

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Current up to date data for the ground level ozone is not readily available in both EPA website and the state website. EPA provides data that is used to calculate different levels and also provides advisories to apply to each level.

RECOMENDATIONS
The whole community has a role to play in the reduction of the ground ozone level. Members of the Lake Charles community should always check the air quality forecast in their area. At times when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is forecast to be unhealthy, they should limit physical exertion outdoors. In many places, ozone peaks in mid-afternoon to early evening. As such, people should change the time of day of strenuous outdoor activity to avoid these hours, or reduce the intensity of the activity. In addition, members of the community can help their local electric utilities reduce ozone air pollution by conserving energy at home and the office. They should consider setting their thermostat a little higher in the summer. They should also participate in their local utilities' loadsharing and energy conservation programs. Air pollution from cars, trucks, gas-powered lawn and garden equipment, boats and other engines can be reduced by keeping equipment properly tuned and maintained. Other ways of reducing ozone build up include: Reducing driving, carpooling, using public transportation, walking, and bicycling. Household and garden chemicals should be used wisely.

REFERENCES
Global Ozone Project; www.go3project.com/ http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/basic.html http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/ozone.html#ozloc http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&cityid=372 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_ozone http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/pqrs/primary-pollutant-secondary-pollutant.htm http://www.go3project.com/network2/index.php/pages/home http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/basic.html Page 11

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http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/tabid/2831/Default.aspx http://scorecard.goodguide.com/

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