What's In Our Air?

Reported May 2007

BOULDER, Colo., (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Scientists at NOAA confirmed pollution controls put in place 10 years ago are impacting us today. Now, the scientists say, with certainty, the "Clean Air Act" regulations that went into effect in 1999 are working today.

Gregory Frost, a NOAA atmospheric scientist in the Chemistry Science Division in Boulder Colo., says, "The air is cleaner in the regions where we have reduced emissions of a key pollutant."

The remote-sensing satellites work by taking images of nitrogen oxides, or NOX every three days. These pollutants are from coal-burning power plants. For example, the scientists took images from over the Ohio River Valley where there were hotspots of pollution. The 10 years of before-and-after data revealed a 40 percent reduction in pollution. Frost says the air over the Ohio River Valley is much cleaner now.

Frost says, "Our study is a really good example to the whole world that we can improve our air quality by our own activities." The study will now expand westward to individual power plant in the western United States. Next, the scientists hope to measure the reduction in ozone in the air we breathe.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Gregory J. Frost, Research Associate
Boulder, CO 80305-3328
303-497-7539
Gregory.J.Frost@noaa.gov

American Meteorological Society
Boston, MA 02108-3693
617-227-2425
http://www.ametsoc.org

American Geophysical Union
Washington, DC 20009-1277
800-966-2481
http://www.agu.org

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