article thumbnail

Severe drought influences ozone pollution

Green Car Congress

From 2011 to 2015, California experienced its worst drought on record, with a parching combination of high temperatures and low precipitation. Although ozone in the stratosphere protects the earth from ultraviolet radiation, at ground level the molecule is a harmful air pollutant to humans, animals and plants.

Ozone 207
article thumbnail

MIT study: half of US deaths related to air pollution are linked to out-of-state emissions

Green Car Congress

The study focuses on the period between 2005 and 2018 and tracks combustion emissions of various polluting compounds from various sectors, looking at every state in the contiguous United States, from season to season and year to year. Scientists have long known that pollution observes no boundaries, one of the prime examples being acid rain.

MIT 307
article thumbnail

Study finds São Paulo switch from ethanol to gasoline dropped local ozone levels by 20%, increased CO and nitric oxide concentrations

Green Car Congress

A study by a pair of researchers at Northwestern University found that when fuel prices drove residents of São Paulo, Brazil, to switch from ethanol to gasoline in their flexible-fuel vehicles, local ozone levels dropped 20%. Ozone levels are relatively high in São Paulo, with hourly concentrations above 75 and 125 µg m ?3

Ozone 316
article thumbnail

EPA proposes tightening primary ozone standards to range of 65-70 ppb; final rule by October 2015

Green Car Congress

Counties where measured ozone is above proposed range of standards, based on 2011-2013 monitoring data. Earlier this year, EPA staff had recommended the further reduction of this primary ozone standard from the current 75 ppb (parts per billion) to a revised level within the range of 70 ppb to 60 ppb—and preferably below 70 ppb.

Ozone 273
article thumbnail

Obama Administration withdraws proposed rulemaking on strengthened ozone standards

Green Car Congress

In a statement released this morning, President Barack Obama said he has requested that US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson withdraw the agency’s draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) rulemaking. Earlier post.) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Ozone 259
article thumbnail

KIT study finds extraordinarily cold Arctic stratospheric winter enhanced ozone degradation above the Arctic

Green Car Congress

Extraordinarily cold temperatures in the stratosphere during the winter of 2010/2011 caused the most massive destruction of the ozone layer above the Arctic so far, according to a study by climate researchers at KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). These chemical conversion products attack the ozone layer and destroy it partly.

Ozone 210
article thumbnail

FCA recalls 850,000+ gasoline vehicles due to problem with catalytic converters

Green Car Congress

NO x emissions in California are the most important contributor to ambient ozone and a key contributor to fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5 California is home to both the highest ozone levels (South Coast) and ambient particulate matter levels (San Joaquin Valley) in the United States.

Convert 236