Hi Top Cities With the Worst Air in the United States.

Hi Top Cities With the Worst Air in the United States.

Dealing with poor air quality can be not only an annoyance, but hazardous to your health as well. Although there are places around the world that are much worse, there are still places in the United States that have poor air quality. Because of this, the residents suffer, dealing with the poor air quality sometimes every day of the year. Be aware of the cities that have the worst air quality, and learn how to best protect yourself if you reside in one of these cities.

Los Angeles:

There are close to eighteen million people living in and around the Los Angeles area. This includes Long Beach and Riverside. Because of these large number of people, industrial factories, cars, and shipping ports add a large amount of pollution. It doesn't help that there is not often weather changes such as high winds, rain or snow to clear everything out. Even though the air is heavily polluted, it is better than it had been in previous years. There have been efforts made to clean up the air, making it healthier for everyone in the area.

Phoenix:

With a smaller population, reaching about four million, the air is still heavily polluted. Although Arizona has been known for a long time as the perfect place for those with respiratory issues to come and relieve their lungs, the same cannot be said for the state's capital. Because of the way the city is situated, it makes it hard for the pollution to leave the area, causing it to settle. Those who already have problems with their lungs or heart should stay inside on bad air days and avoid exercising outside.

Hanford:

Although the population of Hanford, California is smaller than most cities that made the list for the greatest pollution, this town of 150 thousand people ranks in the top ten worst cities for pollution by ozone, year round pollution, and short term pollution. Those who live in this area should be aware of these potential dangers, and do what they can to protect themselves against the problem.

Bakersfield:

Bakersfield, California has ranked as the worst city as far as air quality goes many times, not necessarily because of the pollution, but because of the elements that are in the air. There is a lot of agriculture in this region, and when work is being done, fertilizer and pesticides used, and even dust is brought up into the air, creating a potentially harmful concoction to ingest.

Even if you don't live in one of these cities, you still have a potential of getting sick from pollutants in your area. To better protect yourself plan to carpool, stay inside on days with poor air quality, and ensure that the filter in your homes heating and air system is always in proper working order. The filter in your home is critical for many. It is the first line of defense in your home to create a safe environment against the pollution in the air. Take care of this to maintain your health in the best way possible.

!!!!AIR POLLUTION CALIFORNIA!!!

Hi Asbestos Dumping: Is It the New 'Environmental Terrorism?'

Hi Asbestos Dumping: Is It the New 'Environmental Terrorism?'

- "There is an increasing number of asbestos dumping, which is occurring in public places."

About Asbestos:

Asbestos can cause cancer years down the line, without the person ever knowing that it's there and even if they did, there's no current cure that healthcare professionals are able to practice on patients. Mesthelioma is the known type of cancer that is a result of exposure to asbestos. There are further health complications that asbestos can cause to a person's health such as, lung problems and general health problems. Mesthelioma doesn't appear until 30-50 years down the line so although it does cause cancer and death, the only saving grace is that people are not affected straight away.

Recent Asbestos Dumping Case:

There has recently been a case of asbestos dumping in Holland-on-Sea, Ipswich road, Colchester, where a whole heap of asbestos was dumped partly in bags, the other parts scattered near public toilets. This has been rightly dubbed 'Environmental Terrorism' by the local paper; exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, the fact that asbestos has been dumped in a very public place could have made an impact on people's health, but this will be unknown until years down the line when its more than likely too late to prosecute the perpetrators for causing other people to contract cancer. No justice really; if those responsible were caught, there's no real way of prosecuting them for causing people cancer as it's an unknown fact and will remain that way for many years.

Is the person(s) who committed this shocking crime understand the implications of asbestos exposure can do or completely unaware. If unaware, does that indicate a lack of knowledge that people posses when it comes to asbestos and the dangers of being exposed to it? On the other hand, if the person(s) does understand the health risks to humans that asbestos causes, does this mean they are just pure evil; putting a person(s) health at risk to an extent where it's likely to give them cancer and a premature death is absolutely and undeniably shocking and should receive many years behind bars for doing so?

However, until years down the line, this cannot be proved or disproved, making dumping asbestos and being prosecuted for it, a complete grey area in the current justice system and to an extent understandable. People cannot be prosecuted for possibilities that something may happen, it must be factual and something must have occurred.

Asbestos Removal Regulations:

There are rules and regulations that have been put in place in order to help stop asbestos from causing unnecessary and painful deaths. However, these measures will not completely get rid of the asbestos fibres and with people now dumping asbestos where ever they like e.g. in public places, the problem may only get worse. Asbestos itself is not harmful if it isn't disturbed, but if it is accidentally or purposefully disturbed then this is when it becomes deadly and therefore, asbestos must be removed using correct methods, procedures and equipment.

There are strict laws when it comes to asbestos removal and this must be followed to the letter by any person or business whom is involved in the removal of asbestos. These laws were introduced in order to try minimise health risks due to the high proportion of buildings and materials contaminate by asbestos during removal.

How Easy is it to Disturb Asbestos?

Asbestos is extremely easy to disturb; a simple hole drilled into a wall that contains asbestos can be harmful for a person as the particles are tossed into the air and therefore, a chance of being breathed in by people in the vicinity.

Hi Global Market for U.S. Indoor Air Quality to Reach $11.4 Billion by 2019!.

Hi Global Market for U.S. Indoor Air Quality to Reach $11.4 Billion by 2019!.

BCC Research reveals in its new report, U.S. Indoor Air Quality Market, the U.S. indoor air quality (IAQ) market is expected to grow to $11.4 billion by 2019, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7 percent over the next five years. The equipment segment market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.4 percent.

Since 2012, continuing media attention focused on the health effects of toxic mold, the outbreak of infectious diseases (such as bird flu), and the increase in chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma have resulted in a new interest in IAQ in homes, commercial buildings, schools and hospitals.

There is a distinct equipment market within the industry that includes products such as air-cleaning equipment, HVAC equipment, HVAC replacement filters and IAQ instrumentation. This market, which was valued at $3.9 billion in 2013, is predicted to reach nearly $4.1 billion in 2014 and $5.8 billion in 2019, with a projected CAGR of 7.4 percent.

Although the commercial segment was the largest market for IAQ equipment and services in 2013, the residential sector is projected to move into the top position by 2019, with 29 percent of the market, followed by commercial buildings (28 percent), healthcare (16 percent) and schools (14 percent).

“The U.S. economy has continued to recover from the 2008–2009 recession, boosting the market for IAQ equipment and services,” says BCC Research environment analyst, Andrew McWilliams. “The IAQ market is important because health problems such as building-related illness and sick-building syndrome, as well as other ailments associated with poor IAQ in homes, offices and schools, are on the rise in the U.S.”

U.S. INDOOR AIR QUALITY MARKET determines the size of the overall IAQ market and its subcategories, such as IAQ equipment and technologies, consulting services and environmental services.

Hi' Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality;

Hi' Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality;

Indoor air pollution is considered as one of the top environmental risks to public health worldwide due to increasing number of building-related illnesses. 

Studies have found that concentration of indoor pollutants is significantly higher indoors than they are in outdoor environment, which is two to five times and sometimes hundred times higher than outdoor levels. 

As most of the people spend 80% to 90% of their lives indoor, indoor air quality has significant implication on sustainability.

Decreased indoor air quality can affect quality of life of the building occupant, increase health risks and increase the liability for building owner, decrease the productivity of occupants and reduce the resale value of the building. Poor indoor air quality can cause “sick building syndrome”, which is a medical condition linked to poor health and absenteeism.

Poor indoor air quality is due to many factors including but not limited to improper building design, inadequate ventilation, off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from furniture, carpets, paints and coatings, cleaning products, and from human respiration. Airborne particles such as lints, dust, dust mites, mold, bacteria, pollen and animal dander also contribute to poor indoor air quality. Indicators that are used to measure the indoor air quality include total particulate matter, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), formaldehyde, carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O₃), air temperature, relative humidity (RH). Concentration of CO₂ in the indoor environment indicates whether ventilation is sufficient or not.

In the Middle East region, most of the people live in enclosed air-conditioned indoor environments. With rapidly growing population, increase in number of vehicles on the road, high temperature level, ever increasing construction activities, regular sandstorm, concentration of air contaminants in the region is among the highest worldwide. Indoor environment also reflects outdoor air quality and pollution. Transport of outdoor contaminants to the indoor environment can result in occupant exposure to outdoor pollutants that have serious health impacts. In addition, there are many sources of indoor pollutants present in building materials, cleaning products, indoor mold and legionella growth, and emission from interior furnishings, finishing and equipments.

Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality;

Indoor air quality is influenced by concentration of outdoor air pollutants as well as indoor source of pollution, characteristic of building and habits of occupants. Appropriate building design and mechanical system and control strategies as well as changing occupant behaviour can improve indoor air quality and health and comfort, performance and productivity of building occupants. There are a host of strategies to improve the indoor air quality.

Appropriate design;

Building envelop, orientation, and location of air intake, location of mechanical ventilation systems can contribute to indoor air quality. Hence, these factors should be considered during the design stage of projects to control the main source of pollutants for the whole building.

Whole house mechanical ventilation;

Properly designed and sized ventilation system can supply adequate outdoor air to indoor. In most of the green building rating systems, industry standards such as ASHRAE Standard 62 or Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality are commonly followed.

Mixed mode ventilation:

Use of combination of mechanical and natural ventilation systems in buildings, such as automated window controlling systems and operable windows, can help in maintaining healthy indoor air quality.

Air quality management during construction:

During the construction phase, molds can develop due to exposure of building materials with moisture. Dust and particulates can easily accumulate on building materials if they are not protected. The air quality during the construction period can be protected by protecting the building materials from dust and particles and moistures.

High efficiency air filters: 

Filters prevent transports of outdoor VOCs, dusts, particulates and ozone indoors. Use of good particle filter such as high MERV rated filters in ventilation equipment are found to be the most effective filters in filtering outdoor dust and particulates out.

Maintenance schedule for HVAC filters:

Dirty filter can cause sensory irritation. Hence, appropriate maintenance schedule can prevent this to happen.

Use of low emitting materials: 

Use of materials that have low VOC content for products such as indoor carpets, rubber flooring, sub-floor materials, ceramics and ties, plasterboards, or other sealants and adhesives.  Also internal construction materials with low formaldehyde content can be helpful.

Conduct building flush out: 

Flushing out of indoor contaminants thoroughly in buildings before occupancy will help replacing dirty indoor air with fresh outdoor air.

Green cleaning program:

Select cleaning materials that are made of low emitting materials and employ a green cleaning program to reduce contaminant exposure.

Carbon dioxide monitors: Install CO₂ monitors in ventilation system and integrate them to regulate the supply of fresh air according to the building occupants demand. By doing so, if the CO₂ concentration increases beyond a set point, then the airflow automatically increases. 

Sustainable Cities.

Hi Air - Mercury Emissions Spread Overland!.

Hi Air - Mercury Emissions Spread Overland!.

Hi Air / Water; A national study finds that mercury has spread, even to areas considered to be pristine.

Fig A Above;

Although generally low in concentration, a study of mercury levels in fish from 21 Western national parks did find some locations where mercury concentrations exceeded health thresholds for potential impacts to fish, birds and humans, according to a recent publication by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and National Park Service (NPS) researchers. This study, the first of its kind, detected mercury in all of the fish sampled, even from the more pristine areas of the parks.

What is Mercury?

Mercury is a toxic, global contaminant that threatens ecosystem and human health. It is a naturally occurring element and the only metal that exists as a liquid at room temperature. Mercury is also used in industrial practices, mostly for the manufacture of industrial chemicals and for electrical and electronic applications.

The EPA sets standards for safe consumption of fish for human health in regard to mercury levels. In addition, EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have issued a joint advisory regarding recommended consumption of fish and shellfish due to mercury contamination levels. More than 16 million lake acres and one million river miles are under fish consumption advisories due to mercury in the United States, and 81 percent of all fish consumption advisories issued by EPA are because of mercury contamination.

Where Were These Fish Found?

More than 1,400 fish were collected between 2008 and 2012 from hard-to-reach, high-elevation lakes and streams in 21 national parks in the Western United States and Alaska.  Investigators sampled 16 species, with a focus on sport fish such as brook trout, rainbow, cutthroat and lake trout, as well as smaller prey fish eaten by birds and other wildlife.

How Did Mercury Migrate?

Although there are natural sources of mercury, such as emissions from volcanoes, the majority of the mercury in these high elevation areas arrives from man-made sources such as coal-burning power plants, waste incinerators, oil and gas wells, and mining operations. The mercury can originate many miles from the national parks, as it travels through the atmosphere as tiny particles or gases. It then settles to the ground carried by falling rain or snow, or landing on the ground as dust particles. In wetlands, atmospheric mercury can be transformed into methylmercury, a more dangerous form to living organisms.

Methylmercury levels can accumulate in animals over time and actually increase in concentration up the food chain, resulting in very high levels in larger animals. This process is known as bioaccumulation and happens when predators eat prey animals that already have mercury in them. The mercury in the prey animals is then stored in the tissues of the predator.

Dangerous to Human and Animal Health!!!

During their research, the scientists found that the mercury levels in fish greatly varied between parks and between sites within each park. In most parks, mercury concentrations in fish were moderate to low in comparison with similar fish species from other locations in the Western United States. Mercury concentrations were below EPA’s fish tissue criterion for safe human consumption in 96 percent of the sport fish sampled.

There were, however, particular areas that researchers identified elevated fish mercury concentrations, including levels that exceed safe human consumption or wildlife health benchmarks. Some sport fish exceeded the EPA human health criterion at Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, Wrangell-St. Elias, Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks.

Mercury concentrations in individual fish also exceeded the most conservative fish toxicity benchmark at Capitol Reef, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mount Rainier, Rocky Mountain, Wrangell-St. Elias, Yosemite and Zion national parks. Mercury levels in some fish exceeded the most sensitive health threshold for fish-eating birds at all parks except Crater Lake, Denali, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde and Sequoia-Kings Canyon national parks.

Start with Science!!!

Although risk of harm to humans and wildlife may be low in many locations, there are substantial concerns about the locations with high risk. 

This study identified areas where additional research is needed to better understand the risk to all national park units, and other remote landscapes or understudied environments.

Ultimately, advisories and related warnings consider both the risks and benefits of consuming fish. 

Future collaborations between research groups would map patterns of mercury across national parks in greater detail, supporting resource managers’ decisions to protect both national park visitors and the wildlife they come to see.

The USGS’s website at  provides many fascinating stories and information, click the link here to visit the site. 

- "Their tag line is “science for a changing world.”

Fig B. Above; Spatial distribution of the 21 national parks sampled in this study. Size of circle represents percentage of total dataset.

Fig C. Above; A NPS researcher holds a brook trout in Mount Rainier National Park. Image credit: Collin Eagles-smith, USGS.

Hi Technical Bulletin: health, safety and environmental — biocides and fungicides.!.

Hi Technical Bulletin: health, safety and environmental — biocides and fungicides.!.

‘Health, safety and environmental affairs — the tank-side use of biocides and fungicides’.;

It is important to understand that while everyone in the metalworking fluids (MWF) industry calls these products biocides and/or fungicides, the US Department of Agriculture in charge of biocides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act 7 U.S.C. s/s 136 et seq. (1996) (FIPRA), which controls farm and garden pesticides and so on) calls these materials ‘antimicrobial pesticides’. 

It is also critical to understand, says this bulletin from Master Chemical, that while there are a great many chemicals that would kill bacteria and fungus in metalworking fluids, the only chemicals that can be used to kill bacteria or fungus are those registered by the US Department of Agriculture for use in metalworking fluids.

It is also important to know that how these fluids are used is controlled by the FIPRA with conditions noted on the label.

‘Health, safety and environmental affairs — the tank-side use of biocides and fungicides’ Click Link Here To Download Or View & Download .PDF Document Below;

Hi Blog Topic of Our Times "Air pollution And Climate"

Hi Combat  Air pollution  And Climate Change Simultaneously

Current economic growth will intensify air quality problems in Asia unless current pollution control laws are significantly upgraded:

1. Population growth and  development will further boost the level of economic activities in Asia:

In asia, population growth combined with the envisaged increase in economic wealth will multiply current levels of energy use, traffic, industrial production and agricultural output in the coming decades. for instance, the Indian government foresees total energy consumption to increase by a factor of 4.5 between 2005 and 2030.

2. Current air pollution control strategies will not be sufficient to balance out the negative effects:

unless current emission control laws are tightened, this economic growth will lead to substantially higher emissions of harmful air pollutants. Increased coal consumption would multiply current emissions of sulfur dioxide in India by a factor of 5 by 2030. depending on the effectiveness of the implementation of current emission control regulations for vehicles, emissions of nitrogen oxides would grow by a factor of2.5 to 3 by 2030. and greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase by a factor of 4 by 2030. 

3. Deteriorating air quality will cause serious impacts on human health and vegetation, including economically important crops:

This growth in emissions will deteriorate asian air quality further, and cause serious impacts on human health and vegetation. the gaIns model estimates that outdoor exposure to fine particulate matter will, by 2030, shorten statistical life expectancy in India by 57 (29-80) months, compared to 17 (8-23) months in 2005. higher ground-level ozone means crop losses of wheat, corn and rice will triple or more by 2030. In essence, GAINS is a scenario-generating device that helps users to understand the impacts of future actions – or inaction – and to design strategies to achieve long-term environmental goals at the lowest possible cost.The GAINS model analyses the multiple sources and multiple effects of five air pollutants and six greenhouse gases to identify their most cost-effective control. 

4. Advanced emission control technologies are available to maintain acceptable levels of air quality despite the pressure from growing economic activities.

There are two broad methods to cut air pollution; either reducing the levels of activities that emit the pollutants; or not changing production and consumption levels but controlling the waste they

produce. the latter method is known as end-of-pipe emission control technology and by fully applying existing technical measures asia can avoid serious deteriorations in air quality. however, such an undifferentiated across-the board approach would impose significant burdens on the economy.

5. A cost-effective strategy can reduce costs for air pollution control by up to 80% compared to conventional approaches:


an optimized emission control strategy, which selectively allocates specific reduction measures across economic sectors, pollutants and regions, could achieve equal air quality improvements at only 20% of the costs of a conventional across-the-board approach. the gaIns optimization tool allows a systematic search for those measures that ensure total emission control costs are minimized. for asia, an integral element of such an air pollution control strategy will be measures to eliminate indoor pollution from the

combustion of solid fuels.

6. Enhancing air quality in Asia improves the environment, human health, and agricultural productivity:


The gaIns model allows policymakers in china and India to analyse and design their own air pollution control strategy. the benefits of such a strategy are illustrated in the following example. air pollution lowers statistical life expectancy in china, these health impacts could be reduced by 43% by 2030 by using available technology to improve ambient air quality. this can be achieved at an additional expense of 0.63% of gdp with a conventional across-the-board approach to reducing air pollutants or at only an additional cost of 0.13% of gdp using the targeted approach of gaIns. The investment will also reduce crop losses by around 50% and have far ranging positive impacts on the environment.

Well-designed air pollution control strategies can also reduce emissions of greenhouse gases:

1. Measures exist that simultaneously reduce emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases:

In many cases emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases are emitted from the same sources. thus, controls directed at air pollutants frequently affect greenhouse gas emissions, and vice versa. the gaIns model provides an integrated perspective that can maximize synergies between air pollution 

control and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. 

2. Strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can dramatically lower air pollution control costs:

for achieving given targets on ambient air quality, the cost of air pollution controls can be further reduced by adopting certain low carbon strategies. gaIns demonstrates that the additional controls of climate-friendly measures, e.g., energy efficiency improvements, co-generation of heat and power, fuel substitution, integrated coal gasification combined cycle (Igcc) plants, etc., are more than compensated for by savings in air pollution control equipment.

3. A smart mix of measures to simultaneously cut air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions will help combat climate change and air pollution more cheaply than tackling either issue separately.

GaIns demonstrates that low carbon strategies result in lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter at no additional costs. for china, India, and europe, gaIns estimates that each percent of co2 reduction will typically reduce health impacts from fine particulate (pm) air pollution by 1%. this is important information for judging the net benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation 

strategies. gaIns also shows by selecting a smart mix of measures to simultaneously cut air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, china can almost halve air pollution control costs as well as lower 

greenhouse gas emissions by 9 %.

A scientific tool to combat air pollution and climate change simultaneously