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Q. What pollutants affect air quality?
A. A few air pollutants, called criteria air pollutants, are common throughout the United States. These pollutants can injure health, harm the environment and cause property damage. The current criteria pollutants are Carbon Monoxide (CO), Lead (Pb), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3), Particulate matter with aerodynamic size less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM-10), and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2).
Q. What is the single most effective recommendation our clean air policy could contain?
A. Unfortunately, there's no one "silver bullet" for cleaner air, and the most effective recommendation in one area may differ from what's most effective in another area. That's why it's important that the problem be studied locally as well as regionally. However, it would be fair to say that in this region in general, most of our air quality issues tend to stem from mobile sources, including cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles such as construction equipment and lawnmowers. So at least some of the most effective actions would be aimed at reducing or cleaning up these mobile sources.
Q. What kinds of air pollution are produced by mobile sources?
A. Combustion of fuels can cause the release of hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), particulate matter (PM), toxics, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Mobile sources produce air pollution from exhaust emissions, as well as evaporative emissions and refueling losses from gasoline engines. The type and amount of pollution depends on many factors: the type of engine or vehicle, the type of fuel used, the type and condition of emission control devices, and how the engine is used/run. For example, diesel engines used in trucks, buses, locomotives, and ships tend to emit more NOx and PM than gasoline engines. Engines with catalytic converters (such as passenger cars) emit much less HC, CO, NOx, and toxics than similar engines without catalysts; the catalytic converter is an important pollution control device to reduce exhaust emissions.
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