Santa Barbara County Air Quality Attainment Designation
Air quality standards define clean air. They tell us how
much of a substance can be in the air without causing harm, based on
proven scientific and medical research. Both the federal and state
governments set air quality standards. In most cases, California's
standards are more protective of health. The Attainment Designation tells us whether our
air meets these health standards.
Federal standards have been established for seven pollutants:
- carbon monoxide
- lead
- nitrogen dioxide
- ozone
- respirable particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10)
- fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5),
and
- sulfur dioxide.
California state standards exist for all of these, plus four more:
- sulfates
- hydrogen sulfide
- vinyl chloride (chloroethene), and
- visibility reducing particles.
These are the only pollutants - out of hundreds in our air - for which
standards have been set. There is not enough known about the health
effects of other pollutants to set air quality standards. View the State
and Federal Ambient Air Quality
Standards.
Santa Barbara County is considered in attainment of the federal eight-hour ozone standard,
and in attainment of the state one-hour ozone standard. We do not meet the state
eight-hour ozone standard or the state standard for
particulate matter less than ten microns in diameter (PM10); we do meet
the federal PM10 standard. There is
not yet enough data to determine our attainment status for either the
federal standard for particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in
diameter (PM2.5) or the state PM2.5 standard, although we will likely be
in attainment for the federal 2.5 standard.
To view historical statistics on ozone and particle pollution levels in
Santa Barbara County and other areas see
this page on the California Air Resources Board site.
Santa Barbara County
Attainment/Nonattainment Classification Summary 2007
|
|
Pollutant |
Averaging Time |
California Standards |
National Standards |
|
Concentration |
Attainment Status |
Concentration |
Attainment Status |
|
Ozone
|
8 hour |
0.070 ppm |
N* |
0.08 ppm |
A |
| 1 hour |
0.09 ppm
(180 µg/m3) |
A |
revoked
|
A |
|
Carbon Monoxide
|
8 hour |
9.0 ppm
(10 mg/m3) |
A |
9.0 ppm
(10 m/m3) |
A |
| 1 hour |
20.0 ppm
(23 mg/m3) |
A |
35.0 ppm
(40 µg/m3) |
A |
|
Nitrogen Dioxide***
|
annual average |
0.030 ppm
(56 µg/m3) |
A |
0.053 ppm
(100 µg/m3) |
A |
| 1 hour |
0.18 ppm
(338 µg/m3) |
A |
-- |
-- |
|
Sulfur Dioxide
|
annual average |
-- |
-- |
80 µg/m3
(0.03 ppm) |
A |
| 24 hour |
0.04 ppm
(105 µg/m3) |
A |
0.14 ppm
365 µg/m3
|
A |
| 1 hour |
0.25 ppm
(655 µg/m3) |
A |
-- |
-- |
|
Particulate Matter (PM10)
|
annual arithmetic mean |
20 µg/m3 |
N |
revoked |
A |
| 24 hour |
50 µg/m3 |
N |
150 µg/m3 |
A |
|
Particulate Matter - Fine (PM2.5)
|
annual arithmetic mean |
12µg/m3 |
U |
15 µg/m3 |
U/A |
| 24 hour |
-- |
-- |
35 µg/m3** |
U/A |
|
Sulfates
|
24 hour |
25 µg/m3 |
A |
|
|
|
Lead
|
calendar quarter |
-- |
-- |
1.5 µg/m3 |
A |
| 30 day average |
1.5 µg/m3 |
A |
-- |
-- |
|
Hydrogen Sulfide
|
1 hour |
0.03 ppm
(42 µg/m3) |
A |
-- |
-- |
|
Vinyl Chloride (chloroethene)
|
24 hour |
0.010 ppm
(26 µg/m3) |
|
-- |
-- |
|
Visibility Reducing Particles
|
8 hour (1000 to 1800 PST) |
|
A |
-- |
-- |
|
A=Attainment
N=Nonattainment
U=Unclassified
U/A=Unclassifiable/Attainment
|
mg/m3=milligrams per cubic meter
ppm=parts per million
µg/m3=micrograms per cubic meter
|
NOTES:
* This standard went into effect in June, 2006. Official
designations have not yet been announced; our data indicate we will be
considered in nonattainment of this standard.
*** The state Nitrogen Dioxide ambient air quality
standard was amended on February 22, 2007, to lower the 1-hour standard
to 0.18 ppm and establish a new annual standard of 0.030 ppm.
These changes become effective after regulatory changes are submitted
and approved by the Office of Administrative Law, expected later this
year.
|
|
