|
ADEQ continually monitors and assesses Arizona's air quality both in the metropolitan centers, and in the more remote areas of the state. Visual observations as well as atmospheric measurements are collected for research and analysis.
Monitoring Urban Visibility
Air Quality Forecasting and High Pollution Advisories Air Quality Monitoring Data
Air quality monitoring networks operate in urban and rural areas throughout Arizona so citizens may know local air quality conditions and to help ADEQ and local air quality control districts identify the causes of air pollution. The networks are composed of individual monitoring sites that collect ambient air quality data in a variety of representative settings. These data help determine air pollution sources and allow scientists to assess the effects of pollution on public health and welfare effects. The networks also monitor the nature and causes of visibility impairment.
Numerous agencies, companies, individuals and organizations collect the ambient air quality monitoring data, which ADEQ annually publishes in a report on the state's air quality conditions.
| Natural and Exceptional Events
Natural and exceptional events are adverse air quality events resulting from natural sources (e.g., earthquake, volcanic activity or fire), or caused by meteorological conditions (e.g., high winds, violent storms) or rare events (e.g., large structure fires or explosions, and post-disaster clean-up activities). These events can overwhelm existing control strategies for man-made pollution. Documents used to determine when such an event has caused an exceedance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are bulleted below. If such an event occurs and EPA agrees with the natural and exceptional events determination, data that would have caused an exceedance of the NAAQS or eligibility criteria for Limited Maintenance Plans is not counted against an area's measure of air quality. However, a Natural Events Action Plan (NEAP) must be developed to assure that future events are managed for air quality and health impacts.
Learn more about high pollution advisories. And to learn more about the impacts of wildfire events, read the "Arizona Department of Health Services Wildfire Emergency Response Plan"  or the EPA brochure, "How Smoke From Fires Can Affect Your Health" .
|
|
See also:
EPA Office of Air Quality Standards and Planning
|
| Web Site Services | Last Revision Apr. 14, 2008