Introduction
Pollution is one of the most discussed topics in the current global affairs and platforms. The sole reason to this discussion is the connection between pollution and global warming. Climate change has been attributed to the continued usage of pollutants in the globe. The WHO reports suggest that in five years, the levels of outdoor air pollution has increased by eight percent globally, leaving a huge number of billions of people in the dangerous exposure to the toxic air. This pollution has some connections with climate change. In fact, the degradation of the ozone layer has been linked with the common chemicals we use daily in agriculture, industries, and households.
In some instances, the pollution level is so intense such that it draws the attention of global players and regulators in equal measure. Such is the case of Central Valley in California State in the United States. The state ranks at the top of the pollution charts due to its quality of air. The large pollution concentration is majorly due to the topography of the Central Valley. It is a hub of all the blown off pollutants coming from the points of administration (Ryerson et al., 2013). This paper discusses the common pollutants that the region is exposed to, the impact of pollution, and its mitigation.
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Types of Pollutants
The Environmental Pollution Agency has put on the list the various substances that are commonly causing pollution known as the Criteria Pollutants. In general, they are six of them that are likely to be causing the harm in the Central Valley. They are the first of the pollutants to gain the need of standards at the national level as shown in the Clean Air Act. These rules are known as the US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (Ryerson et al., 2013). One of the contaminants is nitrogen oxides. This is the family of the oxides of nitrogen including nitrogen dioxide, and nitrous oxide. These compounds are formed from the combustion of fossil fuels combustion. The vehicles in the Central Valley are the primary sources of this pollutant. When the fuel is burnt, the nitrogen that is one of its components combines with oxygen to form these compounds. Most parts come from the burning of coal (Berg, 2011).
Fine particulate matter is another criteria pollutant. These are tiny particles that can penetrate the body’s defense and cause health harms to the person. They can pass through the lungs to cause respiratory problems. The sources of these particles include soot, mists, fumes, condensing air, aerosols, dust, and fly ash that can be suspended in the atmosphere over an extended period. Also, drought has led to the increase in the levels of particle matter in the climate in the Central Valley and worsens when combined with the wild forest fires. This source is the most visible pollution over the air in Cities such as San Francisco and Fresno. The emission of soot from the burning of coal and other fossil fuels contribute to the increased base of these particles as well as the excessive working on the soil that suspends the dust (Berg, 2011). The matter is measured with the sizes of the particulate matter and denoted as PM2.5 when they measure in 2.5 micrometers or less and PM10 when they are between 2.5 and 10 microns in size.
The third pollutant is ozone. This is a gas that forms in the air as a result of high temperatures, sunlight, and other gasses. The ground-level ozone is formed as a result of other pollutants arising from the combustion of fuels, power plants, industries, and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight. Thus, the pollutant is not a single pollutant but result of a chemical reaction of other pollutants. In contrast to the atmospheric ozone layer, the ground-level one is harmful (Ryerson et al., 2013; Berg, 2011). It is the most dangerous pollutant in the U.S. and maybe due to its intensity in the combination of the various compounds. They cause the smog that is visible in the cities bordering the Central Valley such as Bakersfield. The American Lung Association found the air in this town as the worst to inhale due to high levels of ground-level ozone. This pollutant has been linked to the majority of health cases in the country. The ozone is measured in the number of days entirely covered in smog in a year. Some cities such as Los Angeles go to more than one hundred days in a total haze. This shows the intensity of the pollutant to the air. It is important to consider this levels of pollution in Los Angeles due to their contribution to the contamination of the Central Valley as the winds blow (Ryerson et al., 2013).
The other pollutant is sulfur oxides. These are a very active group of gasses that are formed from the reaction between sulfur and oxygen. The pollutant comes from burning of fossil fuels in the power plants and the vehicles. With the increased usage of the automobile, the levels of these oxides are on the rise. The region is known for the drilling of fossil fuels, and the contribution these fuels have to the production of sulfur oxides is immense. Though not visible as particulate matter and ozone, the gas has a significant variability in the cumulative pollution.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is another pollutant. Known as the silent killer, this gas is an odorless, invisible, colorless gas that is formed when the fuels are burnt in a limited oxygen supply. This gas is the most likely to occur in the atmosphere due to the increased usage in the region. The oil rigs and refineries in that area, making California the fourth-biggest oil producing state in America, suggest the intensity of the emissions of CO.
Reasons for Poor Ranks
The Californian Central Valley is bordered by the Cities of Bakersfield, Fresno, and Modesto (Ryerson et al., 2013). The Valley is the backbone of the agriculture in the State and even the whole of America. In a paradox, the blessing of the productivity of this valley is also its curse. The topography is directly connected to the underlying problems which cause the massive air pollution in Central Valley. The low-lying feature results to the collection of chemicals. As it is surrounded on by the mountains on three of its sides, the valley collects all the pollutants that ensue from the almost 3.5 million residents, the large agricultural society, and the vast oil industries. The contaminants get trapped in the valley by a layer of warm air. The area acts as a bowl to receive all the contaminants blown in from remote areas (Berg, 2011).
Despite the lucrative name the Valley has acquired of its supply of fruits and vegetables to the United States, the impact of such production is felt in most of the places. At the end of every season, the farmers in the region would burn the cleared brush and cuttings, creating the chances of increasing the particulate matter in the atmosphere. This was until some years ago. Besides agriculture, the region is also a center of population growth. As with any place that is growing, the use of energy increases and these result to more emissions. In the county of Fresno, the population increased by sixteen percent from 2000 to 2010, making it the most populous county in the State of California. This translates to an increased number of cars (Berg, 2011). The vehicles add to the already problematic situations of the Central Valley with the emissions getting trapped in between the mountain ranges.
Impacts of Climate Change on Pollution Levels
Climate change and the pollution levels are two principles that affect each other. In other words, climate change can result in a variability in pollution levels while at the same time, pollution can lead to a change in the environment. For the sake of this paper, the important issue is how the climate change affects pollution levels. First and foremost, the change in weather has potential impacts on the ground-level ozone (Jacob & Winner, 2009). In regions such as Central Valley, the ozone is high due to the mild condition created by the buffer zone inside the low lying area (Berg, 2011). The warm atmosphere in the valley, characterized by the presence of the mountain ranges, results in the difficulties in maintaining the required ozone standards in the region. However, the effect of climate change on the pollutants such as particulate matter is not well documented, but research is on-going to counter the uncertainties.
The other way in which the climate change is affecting air pollution is by stagnation. Air stagnation is a meteorological condition which is characterized by the stable and lower atmosphere, light winds, and a day with minimal rains to wash away the accumulated pollutants. With the California State experiencing higher levels of greenhouse gasses coming from the vehicles and the industries. Oil drilling is a danger that makes one smell the petroleum from a far distance from the valley. These conditions lead to air stagnation. Even though the climate change is a multifaceted phenomenon, and would not lead to a warm temperature to all the regions of the globe, the mean temperatures of the globe will increase significantly (Jacob & Winner, 2009).
The rise in temperature is directly linked to the increased levels of air pollution. A good example is the smog concentration. The perfect condition for the formation of smog is the high temperature. The fog contains ozone particles whose combination is elevated with the increase in temperature. The high temperatures also bake the soil, as is evident in the valley. The vegetation in the soils become scanty and scorch out thus leaving nothing to take care of the carbon in the atmosphere. The carbon would, in turn, lead to more pollution due to higher concentration. The remaining vegetation is also susceptible to wildfires, which result in higher levels of smoke in the atmosphere. In short, climate change can affect the concentrations of and types of the emitted pollutants, the land use, the weather conditions that are likely to affect the pollution levels, and the chemistry of the formation of these pollutants in the air (Jacob & Winner, 2009).
Impacts of Pollution
Air pollution has dire effects on the economy, society, and health. The economy is affected either directly or indirectly from issues stemming from health costs and environment (Neidell, 2004). The direct effects include the costs of reduction of emission. The production of oil is the sole source of pollution, but it is also an income earning activity. The decrease of production would mean that the jobs are lost, the development is breached and revenue reduced. In other cases, switching to a safer fuel, or installing the scrubbers is an expensive investment that is sometimes higher than users of the automobiles or the plants running on the fuel can afford. The producers can also incur the costs of producing the fuels that are pollutant-free.
Also, the regulation of pollution makes the government spend more money in making the frameworks and the enforcing instruments into practice. These costs that the producers and the government incur are all laid on the head of the consumer and the ordinary citizen. This is experienced in the raised taxes and the prices of commodities. In other words, the cost of controlling pollution is high but can be recommended in some instances where the cost-benefit analysis is to play (Neidell, 2004). Looking at the greater good is important. The costs of treating the pollution-caused illnesses are also expensive as it adds to the budget of a resident in an area such as the Central Valley.
The other effect is on social and health. The two likely go hand in hand. The increased concentration of the pollutants in the atmosphere would lead to a reduction in the normal social activities. The norms such as traveling and going to school would be affected as in the case of smog (Neidell, 2004). The concentration of ozone and PM2.5 particles makes it vision difficult hence poor maneuverability. In the cities such as Bakersfield, the levels of smog are high until it affects the daily activities of the residents.
Finally, the health effects are the most severe effects of pollution that are highly experienced first hand. The concentration of particles in the atmosphere leads to high chances of inhalation, and thus the particles can find their way into the lungs. There, it can cause severe health conditions such as asthma, and cardiovascular, and obstructive pulmonary diseases (Neidell, 2004). In the City of Bakersfield, the number of people suffering from these diseases is more than one million. This shows the level of infection of respiratory diseases that arise from the exposure of the particles in the atmosphere. The PM2.5 particles and the ozone are well known to reduce the life expectancy of an individual.
Mitigation Efforts
To curb the menace of air pollution, the Central Valley has set several plans. The first one is the Complete Streets policy in Bakersfield that stresses on the planning of roads to accommodate cyclists, pedestrians and other forms of transportation besides cars. This would reduce the emission from automobiles. Another legislation is the restrictions on wood burning and other sources. This was developed in 2012 by the California Air Resources Board and the EPA (Melnick, 2010). The initiative is aimed at reducing the levels of PM2.5. The federal and district governments have tried to put in place the legislations that enforce clean air standards as in the Clean Air Act. The states and the EPA inspect industries and facilities to ensure they comply with the standards of air pollution control.
In conclusion, the pollution level of the Central Valley may be the worst in the country, but several measures are put underway to make sure there is an improvement in future. The pollution is mainly due to the human activities, but the topographic and topographical properties are also in play. The government works hard to ensure the air is safe for breathing for everyone.
References
Berg N. (September, 2011). Why Does California's Central Valley Have Such Bad Air Pollution? CityLab. Retreived May 3, 2017 from https://www.citylab.com/environment/2011/09/behind-pollution-californias-central-valley/207/
Jacob, D. J., & Winner, D. A. (2009). Effect of climate change on air quality. Atmospheric environment, 43(1), 51-63
Melnick, R. S. (2010). Regulation and the courts: The case of Clean Air Act. Brookings Institution Press.
Neidell, M. J. (2004). Air pollution, health, and socio-economic status: the effect of outdoor air quality on childhood asthma. Journal of health economics.
Ryerson, T. B., Andrews, A. E., Angevine, W. M., Bates, T. S., Brock, C. A., Cairns, B., & Ferrare, R. A.. (2013). The 2010 California research at the Nexus of air quality and climate change (CalNex) field study. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 118(11), 5830-5866.
