Transcript Ozone causes damage to vegetation, degrades water quality and

An Overview of Maryland’s
Air Quality
Marcia Ways
Manager, Mobile Sources Control Program
Air & Radiation Management Administration
Maryland’s Air Quality
• Ozone levels in
Maryland are
very high
• Fine particulate
levels are high
• Air pollution
contributes
significantly to
Bay pollution
Ozone Formation
8-Hour Ozone NAAs
Baltimore Region
Washington County EAC
Cecil County (Philadelphia NAA)
Kent and Queen Anne’s County Region
Washington DC Region
Health Effects of Ozone
• Ozone interferes with
normal lung functioning,
aggravates respiratory
diseases, and causes eye
irritation.
• Most common symptom
is pain from taking a
deep breath.
• Long term exposure to
ozone may lead to
premature aging of the
lungs.
Other Effects of Ozone
Ozone causes damage to
vegetation, degrades water
quality and reduces
visibility.
Ozone damages plant life
and is responsible for 500
million dollars in reduced
crop production in the
United States each year.
Fine Particulate Matter
• Particles are very small
objects found in the air,
including dust, dirt,
soot, smoke, and liquid
droplets.
• Our respiratory system
filters out larger
particles.
• Smaller particles get
trapped in the lungs,
while the smallest are
so tiny they pass
through the lungs into
the blood stream.
PM2.5 Nonattainment Areas
Baltimore Region
Washington Region
Washington County
Nonattainment Area
Health Effects of Particles
Particles may trigger or
cause significant health
problems:
• coughing and difficult
or painful breathing
• aggravated asthma,
bronchitis,
emphysema
• decreased lung
function
• weakening of the
heart, heart attacks
• premature death
Other Effects of Particles
• Visibility Impairment
– PM is the major cause of reduced
visibility (haze) in parts of the
United States, including many of
our national parks.
• Aesthetic Damage
– Soot, a type of PM, stains and
damages stone and other
materials, including objects such
as monuments and statues.
• Plant Damage
– PM can form a film on plant leaves
interfering with photosynthesis
and plant growth
Good News
Maryland has implemented one of the
country’s most aggressive set of air
pollution control regulations
– Power plants to hair spray and
perfume
– Over 50 different regulations since
1990
Emissions in Maryland have been cut by
about 40% since 1990
– National average is about 20%
– The result of aggressive local controls
over the past 20 years
Recent settlement will result in about a
70% reduction in NOx emissions
from Mirant’s Maryland power plants
(year round NOx controls)
Emissions in the Baltimore Region
Emissions (NOx and VOC)
250
800
750
200
700
150
650
100
600
50
550
0
500
19931
1996 2
1999
3
2002
4
2005
TPD
What have we done lately?
MD’s Latest Additions
OTC AIM
OTC Consumer Products
OTC Gas Cans
Solvent Cleaning Regulation
Mobile Equipment Refinishing
Regulation
Regional Controls still require
local implementation and
enforcement