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GBlist: Rural ozone levels
Found this article that I thought might be of interest to many of
you.
New EPA Standards Target Rural Ozone Problems
WESTPORT, May 09 (Reuters) - New National Ambient Air Quality
Standards released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
should focus attention on rural ozone problems, according to a
report in today's issue of Science.
Under the new standards, the EPA will change both the manner in
which ozone concentrations are measured throughout the US, and
the maximum allowable concentration, which would now be 0.08 ppm
instead of 0.12 ppm.
In urban areas, ozone levels "...typically rise sharply to a
short-lived afternoon maximum and drop to near zero at night,"
according to Dr. W. L. Chameides of the Georgia Institute of
Technology in Atlanta, and colleagues elsewhere. But in rural
areas, the concentrations are more constant.
Therefore, the change from a 1-hour average measure of ozone
concentrations to an 8-hour average measure, in addition to the
decrease in the maximum concentration, makes nonattainment of the
standards by rural areas more likely.
From analysis of data collected through the Airometric
Information Retrieval System, Dr. Chameides' team calculates that
the new standards will "...almost triple the number of
nonattainment counties in the United States." The group adds,
"Addressing rural nonattainment will necessitate a major change
in the nation's pollution control strategies."
Science 1997;276:916.
Marilyn
Keep on keepin' on.
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