1. Ravalli County Air Quality
Lea Jordan, MS, RS
Ravalli County
Environmental Health

2. The Public Health Perspective
Define Environmental Health
Concerns Regarding Smoke From Biomass Burning
Health Effects of Biomass Smoke
Ravalli County Air Quality Status
Options for Ravalli County
Utilizing Visibility Guidelines

3. Environmental Health Specialists
Conduct research or performs investigations for the purpose of identifying, diminishing, and/or eliminating sources of pollutants and hazards that affect either the environment or the health of the population.
Collect, synthesize, study, report and take action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.

4. Environmental Health Specialists
Involved in research, administration, environmental protection, and resource management
Water resources (surface and ground)
Air Quality
Industrial hygiene
Environmental Management
Land Use Planning
Public Health Inspections

5. Requirements
Bachelor's degree in environmental health or equivalent from an accredited college or university
30 quarter hours or 20 semester hours in the physical and biological health sciences with specific courses in biology, chemistry and microbiology
Enter “in training status”
Take National Exam
Continuing education required to maintain license

6. Air Quality and Biomass Burning
What is biomass?
Under what conditions does biomass burn?
What are the pros and cons of biomass burning?
Who are the players?

7. Smoke From Biomass Burning
Ideal Combustion vs. reality
Criteria Pollutants
Other Concerns

8. Define Combustion
“a chemical change in which oxygen reacts with another substance, often producing energy in the form of heat and light”

9. Ideal Combustion

10. Fuel + Oxygen + heat Carbon Dioxide + Water
Ideal Combustion
Fuel + Oxygen + heat Carbon Dioxide + Water
C6H12O6 + 6O2  6CO2 + 6H2O

11. Actual Products of Combustion
Water Vapor (H2O)
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbon Monoxide (CO)*
Particulate Matter (PM)*
Nitrogen Oxide (NOX)*
Ozone*
Lead*
Sulfur Dioxide*
*EPA Criteria Pollutants

12. Criteria Pollutants
The Clean Air Act requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Harmful to health, environment, property

13. Other Pollutants in Smoke
Hydrocarbons
Air Toxics
Acrolein
Benzene
Formaldehyde
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

14. Biggest Concerns for Biomass Smoke
Particulate Matter (PM)*
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
*Ravalli County Monitoring

17. Public Health
“Incidence, prevalence and severity of diseases in communities or populations and the factors that account for them.”
-EPA
Communities are geographic location, or a certain segment of population
Elderly
Children
Public Health focuses on populations, not necessarily individuals

18. Health Effects of Biomass Smoke
Common symptoms of PM exposure:
increased respiratory symptoms
irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing
decreased lung function
aggravated asthma
chronic bronchitis
irregular heartbeat
nonfatal heart attacks
premature death in people with heart or lung disease

19. WHAT IS PARTICULATE MATTER?
Hair cross section (70 mm)
PM2.5
(2.5 µm)
PM10
(10µm)
Human Hair (70 µm diameter)

20. The Body’s Defense against Particulate Matter
> 10 microns: nasal passages
5 microns: trachea, bronchi
<2 microns: bronchioles
<1 micron: aveoli

23. National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Primary: protect human health - including ‘sensitive’ populations with health issues, such as children and senior citizens
Secondary: Secondary Standards protect public welfare (e.g. crops, buildings, visibility)

24. NAAQS for PM2.5 24-hour PM2.5 standard = 35 µg/m3
Annual PM2.5 standard = 15 µg/m3

25. PM2.5 Air Pollution Sources

26. Air Monitoring in Ravalli County
PM 2.5
Chemical Mass Balance in
Year Round Sampling

29. 9 February 2004 Hamilton FRM [PM2.5] = 4.1µg/m3
16 January 2004 Hamilton FRM [PM2.5] = 45.5µg/m3

34. Where Are We Now? Governor has submitted letter
2007 data still to be analyzed
12/18/08: EPA makes final NAA decisions
4/27/10: Effective date for NAA designations
4/27/13: NAA cleanup plans due to EPA

35. Where Do We Go From Here?
1st Chemical Mass Balance Study from UM:

36. Choices Local Program State Program EPA Program
If no attainment = federal funding cut to county

37. Advantages of a Local Program
Community Involvement in Program Development
Voluntary vs. Regulatory (take it slow)
We define areas within NAA
We have control
Disadvantages:
Cost
Enforcement

38. Disadvantages of Outside Program
Little input on program
Subject to fees and regulations set by outside agency

39. Where Can We Start? Woodstove Upgrades Burning Educational Campaign
Grants/loans/programs
Burning Educational Campaign
How to burn efficiently in stoves
Hot
Do not let smolder
Use efficient stove
WHEN to outdoor burn
State Law: NO OUTDOOR BURNING DEC-FEB
Outdoor Burning What CAN legally be burned outdoors
Only woody debris from yard
No paper, cardboard, treated wood

41. Conclusion Air Quality is OUR Dilemma
National Air Quality Standards are designed to protect the most sensitive of populations