Quick Facts

Consider buying a new high efficiency wood burning stove, fireplace, or fireplace insert that is certified low-emissions of particulates (PM10), air toxics (PAHs), and carbon monoxide (CO) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

80 percent of air pollution comes from our everyday activities.

No-VOC paints are solvent-free paints that do not contain volatile organic compounds (VOC), and low VOC paints, typically contain anywhere between 0.3%-5.0% VOCs as a coalescing solvent.

Idling your vehicle with the air conditioning can increase air emissions by 13%.

Air Quality Control - Air Pollutants

Carbon Monoxide

The major sources of CO releases are caused by the burning of fossil fuels in motor vehicles, power plants, and utility boilers. Even the burning of firewood in devices like wood burning stoves, inserts and furnaces can be a major concern for high CO levels in certain winter weather inversion conditions.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

The major sources of NOx are from combustion devices, like vehicle engines, utility boilers and industrial equipment from burning fossil fuels.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Reactive hydrocarbons are emitted by motor vehicles, paint spraying, metal cleaning, printing and publishing, and many household consumer products that contain solvent-based chemicals.

PM10

PM10 is fine mineral, metal, smoke, soot, and dust particles suspended in the air. In addition to reducing visibility, fine particulate matter can lodge in the lungs and cause serious, long-term respiratory illness and other health problems. Sources of PM10 in our city include road dust, vehicle exhaust, mineral quarries, grading, coal-fired boilers, and open burning.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

Sulfur Dioxide is formed during the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. The major sources in release of sulfur compounds are power generating plants, utility boilers and chemical processing plants. SO2 reacts with rainwater causing "acid rain" in the eastern United States which can damage forests and lakes, as well as man-made structures such as buildings and bridges.