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CLEAN AIR IS ESSENTIAL
By breathing clean air, you can reduce the risk of contracting chronic and acute respiratory diseases such as asthma, as well as avoid disease from stroke, heart disease, dementia, Parkinson's, and lung cancer.
The four main sources of air pollution are:
mobile sources such as cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains
stationary sources such as power plants, oil refineries, industrial facilities, and factories
area sources such as agricultural areas, cities, and wood burning fireplaces
natural sources such as wind-blown dust, wildfires, and volcanoes
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HAS SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE U.S.
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY HAS SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE U.S.
There are many other factors that affect who is exposed to air pollution and when.
California, for example, is prone to many wildfires, and locations within a valley (e.g. San Joaquin and San Fernando Valley) are more susceptible to trap particulates than coastal locations.
Heavy pollution can originate from traffic, factories, wood burning/coal mining, and parcel shipping. In addition, fall and winter atmospheric conditions make it more likely to trap particulates near the ground for many days at a time.
For more information, visit this EPA resource.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) created this breakdown of PM2.5 Emissions to showcase some basic contributors to the poor air quality in the valley:
*PM2.5 is a term for particles below 2.5 microns in diameter; their small size makes them easy to penetrate into your body, which makes them especially dangerous.
The EPA has identified 6 key air pollutants. You can read more about them below:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
1. Real-time Air Advisory Network for San Joaquin Valley - you can get this app on your phone. This app will alert you when air quality in your area becomes poor. You can also get alerts from SJVair.com by signing up here.
2. Valley Air Wildfire Prevention and Response - check for current wildfires affecting San Joaquin Valley air quality, and read more about how you can protect yourself.
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