he
activities of 35 million Californians can produce air pollution. Cars
and trucks are the biggest source of emissions that contribute to air
quality problems, but many other products and industrial processes release
harmful chemicals into the air. If you live in or visit California, you
contribute to the state's dirty air. California's terrain and weather
also add to the problem.
Areas of Southern California, the Central Valley, and the San Francisco
Bay Area are all ringed by mountains that can trap air pollution. During
the summer, layers of warmer air in the upper atmosphere act as a lid
over these areas. Under the hot sunlight, pollutants react to form ozone
(the main ingredient of smog) as well as hazardous microscopic particles.
In the winter, the air pollutants of concern are hazardous microscopic
particles caused by activities such as wood burning, factory emissions
and car exhaust.
Click these links to see San Joaquin Valley air quality statistics:
Growth of population and light vehicles
San Joaquin Valley 2003 Estimated Air Pollutant
Emissions
Next - Air Transport Corridors...
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