|
 |
|
The Environmental Assistance
Office for Small Business at UNC Charlotte
9201 University City Blvd. 258
Cameron Building, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax
number: 704-687-3115
(back to archive page)
|
In
partnership with Mecklenburg County LUESA Air Quality and Solid
Waste Divisions, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Mecklenburg
Utilities
Sponsored by the
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small Business at UNC
Charlotte, The Environmental Corner
is designed to serve as an environmental management and pollution
prevention resource.
Ozone is a gas that occurs both in the Earth's
upper atmosphere and at ground level.
Ozone can be "good" or "bad" for people's health and for the
environment, depending on its location in the atmosphere.
Ground-level, or “bad” ozone, is found in the
troposphere, the air closest to the Earth’s surface.
It is considered “bad” ozone because it is a pollutant that
is a significant health risk.
The stratosphere or "good" ozone layer extends upward from about 6
to 30 miles and protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful
ultraviolet (UV) rays. Our
main concern is how this natural shield has gradually been depleted
by man-made chemicals allowing more UV radiation to reach the
ground.
Top of Page
the bad....
Bad”
ozone image from www.treehugger.com/high_emission_life_style.jpg
|
|
“Bad” ozone, known as
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) in the
sunlight.
According to the EPA,
motor vehicle exhaust
and industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and
chemical solvents as well as natural sources
emit NOx and VOC that help form ground-level
ozone.
Ground-level ozone is the primary constituent of
smog where sunlight and hot weather cause
ground-level ozone to form in harmful
concentrations in the air.
|
 |
|
www.portfolio.mvm.ed.ac.uk/.../27/smog.jpg
|
|
Top of Page
|
Breathing ozone can
trigger a variety of health
problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation,
and congestion, and can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and
asthma. Ground-level ozone also can reduce lung function and
inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may
permanently scar lung tissue.
Scientific studies have linked
ground-level ozone exposure to a variety of problems,
including:
·
airway
irritation, coughing, and pain when taking deep breaths
·
wheezing and
breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities
· aggravation of
asthma
· permanent lung
damage with repeated exposures
· increased
susceptibility to respiratory illnesses (like pneumonia and
bronchitis)
|
 |
|
http://t47ul.blogspot.com/2008/03/double-trouble-link-between-allergies.html
|
Top of Page
|
Did you know that in the United States alone ground-level
ozone is responsible for an estimated $500 million in
reduced crop production each year?
Ground-level ozone can have detrimental effects on
plants and ecosystems that include: |
 |
·
making plants
more susceptible to certain diseases,
insects, other
pollutants, and harsh weather
·
interfering with
sensitive plants to produce and store food
·
damaging the
leaves of trees and other plants
·
reducing forest
growth and crop yields
·
affecting the
landscapes of cities, national parks, and forests
|
|
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
/Library/OzoneWeBreathe/ozone_we_breathe3.html
|
|
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
GROUND-LEVEL OZONE:
|
Ground-level Ozone | US EPA
Top of Page
And the Good......
Image of “good” ozone from
it.geocities.com/allfonsit/ozone/ozonelayer.jpg
The stratosphere is
6 to 30 miles above Earth’s surface and plays the vital role
of absorbing harmful UV rays from the sun.
Within the stratosphere are additional layers with
varying temperatures.
The lower layer of the stratosphere
has a temperature of about 270
K
(−3°C
or 26.6°F),
just slightly below the freezing point of water.
http://www.sustainablescale.org/images/uploaded/UV%20protection%20small.jpg
The
upper layer of the stratosphere is where the ozone layer
lies and attributes to the stratosphere’s warmer
temperatures. These two contrasting temperatures is why the
stratosphere remains stable.
The ozone layer in the stratosphere keeps 95-99% of
the suns UV rays from striking the earth.
This
figure show why the stratosphere is considered “good” ozone.
By protecting UV-B rays from reaching the earth
prevents many harm to many of Earth’s life forms.
Increased UV-B exposure in humans heightens the risk
of skin cancer, cataracts, and a suppressed immune system.
Excessive UV-B exposure can also damage plant life,
single-cell organisms, and water organisms.
However, what’s
threatening and depleting the stratosphere now are the
human-made gases released into the atmosphere.
Top of Page
|
Well what happens when the
ozone depletes?
Initially, emission is the first step in
the process of ozone depletion.
Emission takes place at the Earth’s
surface with source gases containing the
halogens chlorine and bromine.
Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) and other ozone depleting substances
(ODS) are also combined and released into the
air.
Because CFCs are heavier than air, they
eventually reach the stratosphere in a 2 to 5
year process.
When CFCs reach the
stratosphere, the ultraviolet radiation from the
sun causes them to break apart and release
chlorine atoms which react with ozone, starting
chemical cycles of ozone destruction that
deplete the ozone layer. One chlorine atom can
break apart more than 100,000 ozone molecules.
CLICK HERE
FOR MORE
INFORMATION:
Climate Prediction Center - Stratosphere: Polar
Stratosphere and Ozone Depletion
|
Top of Page
|
The next questions to ask is what is being done
about the destruction of the ozone and can it be
restored.
In the 1970s, a concern among scientists
grew that certain chemicals could damage the
earth’s protective layer.
These concerns were confirmed in the
early 1980s when the thinning of the ozone layer
occurred over the southern hemisphere of
Antarctica. |
 |
Health and environmental
risks caused by ozone depleting increased and
the leaders of many countries devised a
solution.
The
Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer was formed, and since 1987 over 180
nations have ratified this treaty.
With the goal to reduce and eventually
eliminate the production and use of man-made
ozone depleting substances, nations, including
the United States, have committed to take
actions to protect the ozone layer.
Scientists predict a
different atmosphere by the middle of the 21st
century when halogen amounts in the atmosphere
are expected to be similar to those present in
1980 before beginning of ozone depletion.
Signs of an increase in ozone depletion
has not been evident since 1998 over most of the
world because of reduced emissions of ODS.
In order to maintain the recovery of the
ozone layer requires a world-wide evaporation of
all ODS.
|
Top of Page
|
If you drive a vehicle,
you are contributing to the largest source of
ground-level ozone pollution.
By driving less and keeping your car maintained,
you will reduce your air-pollution footprint.
Conserving electricity will also reduce
ozone pollution, which also comes from power plant
emissions.
Your
business can also help reduce air pollution by
joining the Air Awareness Business Coalition.
Coalition members agree to distributes the
Air Quality forecasts to their
employees
and to provide educational resources about air
quality.
|
|
TO JOIN
CONTACT :
Megan Green
Charlotte Area Coordinator, N.C. Air Awareness
704-336-5500
Megan.Green@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov
OR VISIT :
http://www.ncair.org/airaware/coalition/raqc1.pdf
|
|
CLICK HERE
FOR COALITION PARTNERS INFO:
http://daq.state.nc.us/airaware/coalition/
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE NC AIR AWARENESS PROGRAM:
http://www.ncair.org/airaware/
It’s up to everyone to reduce
ozone pollution and to keep our air clean.
If everyone can do a little, together a
lot can be accomplished.
Here are just a few things you can do to
better reduce polluting the air:
 |
LEAVE YOUR CAR.
Take the bus, car pool, van pool, walk
or ride your bike to your destination.
CLICK HERE FOR
COMMUTE OPTIONS IN CHARLOTTE:
http://daq.state.nc.us/airaware/commute/charlotte/
DON’T IDLE.
Avoid idling in
drive-through lanes; park and walk in
instead.
A vehicle idled for more than
one minute wastes gas and increases
pollution, when compared to shutting off
and re-starting your engine.
|
|
www.greendioxide.com
|
|
CONSERVE
ELECTRICITY.
Set your air conditioning at the highest
comfortable temperature (try 78
degrees).
Use ceiling fans to increase both
cooling and heating efficiency. Turn off
appliances when not in use. Look for the
Energy Star label when purchasing major
appliances.
DO IT AT DUSK.
Postpone refueling your car until after
6 p.m. on Air Quality Action Days. This
reduces the emissions during the peak
daylight hours when ozone formation is
most likely.
|
 |
|
TAKE YOUR
LUNCH.
 Instead
of driving out to eat. Or walk to a
nearby restaurant.
|
|
|
Any individual or organization can
subscribe to their Air Quality forecast.
Distributed via email, this email is available
daily or just on unhealthy "Air Quality Days".
You can also call
1-800-RUN4NCAIR.(1-800-784-6224) to hear your
region's forecast , or check your local news
source's weather segment.
Ozone forecasts for the Charlotte area are done
by NCDAQ and can be found at:
http://daq.state.nc.us/airaware/ozone/
|
Top of Page |
|
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR AIR QUALITY FORECASTS:
http://www.enviroflash.info
|
|
|
|
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a
tool used to report levels of ozone,
particles, and other pollutants in the
air.
The AQI scale is divided into five color-coded
categories, each corresponding to a different
level of health concern running from green
(good) to purple (very unhealthy).
The greater the AQI value, the greater
the level of air pollution, and the greater the
health danger.
|
Air Quality Index
Level of Health Concerns |
Numerical Value |
Meaning |
| Good |
0-50 |
Air
Quality is considered satisfactory, and air
pollution posses little or no risk |
|
Moderate |
51-100 |
Air
Quality is acceptable; however, for some
pollutants there maybe a moderate health concern
for a very small number of people who are
unusually sensitive to air pollution. |
Unhealthy for
sensitive group |
101-150 |
Members of sensitive groups may experience
health effects. The general public is not likely
to be affected. |
|
Unhealthy |
151-
200 |
Everyone may begin to experience health effects;
members of sensitive group may experience more
severe health effects. |
| Very
Unhealthy |
201-300 |
Health
alert; everyone may experience more severe
health effects. |
|
Hazardous |
>300 |
Health
warnings of emergency conditions. The
entire population is more likely to be affected. |
Courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency
|
The AQI
color codes are used for air quality forecasts and for air quality
reporting. Air quality
reports give either current pollution levels detected by monitors or
air pollution levels that have already occurred, usually during the
previous day.
CLICK HERE
FOR RECENT AIR QUALITY
INDEX READINGS
IN N.C.
http://daq.state.nc.us/monitor/aqi/
CLICK HERE
FOR CURRENT AND RECENT AIR QUALITY
INDEX DATA
IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY:
http://maps.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/website/airquality/
The
AQI
is an index for reporting daily ground level air quality. It tells
you how clean or polluted the air is, and what associated health
concerns you should be aware of. The
AQI
focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days
after breathing polluted air.
The table below shows how many unhealthy days the major
counties in North Carolina had last year.
The NC Division of Air
Quality (DAQ) maintains monitors across the state. The N.C. ozone
standard is 0.08 parts per million over an eight hour period.
Ozone is primarily a hot weather problem,
with most high readings occurring in June, July, and August. It is
also highest in urban areas with lots of cars like Charlotte, the
Triangle, the Triad and Fayetteville, but high levels have also been
recorded in the Great Smoky Mountains.
In the urbanized areas, problems are more likely from 2:00 to 6:00
p.m. In the mountains, the problem usually occurs after 7:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON DAQ’S MONITORING PROGRAM:
http://daq.state.nc.us/monitor/
Top of Page
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for Small
Business
The Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business provides
non-regulatory, client-confidential pollution prevention assistance
to small businesses in the greater Charlotte region. The EAO is
designed to assist regional businesses in their efforts to
voluntarily prevent pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely
assistance for pollution prevention planning, including information
about industry-specific case studies, waste-specific case studies,
and new technologies. The office provides links of resources to
needs between the region's business community, government,
municipality, and university. If there is a particular issue or
question you would like to see in an upcoming edition, please send
an e-mail to
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Contact Information:
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201 University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC Charlotte,
Charlotte, NC 28233-0001
Phone number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
·
Assistance with Air Permits - Assistance for small businesses in
completing paperwork for EPA air permits.
·
Educational Materials - Educational pamphlet, brochures, flyers, and
other materials to relate facts on pollution prevention.
·
Educational Outreach - Develop educational outreach campaigns and
presentations for the public or employee training.
·
University Resources - Library information, faculty expertise,
student projects and research at both graduate and undergraduate
levels.
|
|
|