Table of Contents
What is an ozone nonattainment area?
Nonattainment: Any area that does not meet (or that contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for a NAAQS.
Where are nonattainment areas?
A geographic area that meets or does better than the primary standard is called an attainment area; areas that don’t meet the primary standard are called nonattainment areas. In some cases, a designated nonattainment area can include portions of 2, 3, or 4 states rather than falling entirely within a single state.
What is the source of ozone in the Houston area?
Highly reactive VOCs from local point sources greatly influence the ozone formation in Houston [46]. According to a CMAQ model analysis by Xiao et al. (2010), the petrochemical facilities in the HSC region are significant contributors to peak ozone levels in the Houston region [47].
What constitutes a nonattainment area concerning environmental pollution?
In United States environmental law, a non-attainment area is an area considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards as defined in the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 (P.L. 91-604, Sec. 109).
What is the difference between attainment and nonattainment?
If the air quality in a geographic area meets or is cleaner than the national standard, it is called an attainment area (designated “attainment/unclassifiable”); areas that don’t meet the national standard are called nonattainment areas.
What classification is ozone?
It is a member of reactive oxygen species, an elemental molecule, a triatomic oxygen and a gas molecular entity. Ozone has been used in trials studying the treatment of Mild Asthma and Primary Apical Periodontite.
What is nonattainment status?
What is the 8 hour ozone standard?
The 2008 ozone standard is set at a level of 0.075 ppm averaged over an 8-hour period. This standard is met at an air quality monitor when the 3-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration is less than or equal to 0.075 ppm.
What types of pollution are we exposed to living in Houston?
Pollutant levels are driven by many sources including: tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and buses; toxic pollutants emitted into the air by more than 400 chemical manufacturing facilities, including 2 of the 4 largest refineries in the U.S.; the petrochemical complex along the Houston Ship Channel and the Port of …
What is the ozone season?
An ozone season is a period of time in which ground-level ozone, which is the most common type of air pollution we have in the Alamo Region, typically reaches its highest concentrations in the air we breathe. In this region, the ozone season stretches from March through November.
Why is ozone considered an air pollutant?
Ground-level ozone is a colorless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the earth’s surface. It is called a “secondary” pollutant because it is produced when two primary pollutants react in sunlight and stagnant air. These two primary pollutants are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
What is true about a nonattainment area quizlet?