What Pollution Does to Arvin, CA & Beyond

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SUMMARY

Arvin, California, is identified as the most polluted air in America, primarily due to pollutants trapped by surrounding mountains. Despite its agricultural setting and minimal local pollution sources, the air quality is severely impacted by external emissions from cities like San Francisco. Between 2004 and 2006, Arvin exceeded EPA's acceptable ozone levels on an average of 73 days per year, leading to widespread respiratory issues among its 15,000 residents. The situation is exacerbated during summer months when temperatures soar above 100 degrees, intensifying health complaints.

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This discussion is beneficial for environmental scientists, public health officials, urban planners, and residents of polluted areas seeking to understand the implications of air quality on health and community well-being.

Astronuc
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How bad can it be?

Well, if you lived in Los Angeles, or Houston or Pittsburgh (other large metropolitan or industrial area) in the 1960's and 1970's, you'd have a good idea.

http://airnow.gov/

Calif. farm town is nation's smoggiest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/smog_town

ARVIN, Calif. - Lying in a rich agricultural region dotted with vineyards and orange groves, this central California community seems an unlikely place for a dubious distinction: the most polluted air in America.

Hemmed in by mountains, Arvin is the final destination for pollutants from cities as far away as San Francisco Bay, and its wheezing residents are paying the price. Many of them complain that the air smells toxic.

. . .

Arvin has none of the smoke-belching factories or congested freeways of cities such as Los Angeles. In fact, it produces little pollution. But the pollutants that blow in from elsewhere get trapped by the mountains, causing airborne particles to coat homes and streets and blot out views of the nearby Tehachapi range on hot summer days.

Doctors and public officials say asthma and other respiratory problems are common among the 15,000 residents who live 20 miles southeast of Bakersfield. People complain of watery eyes, dry throats and inexplicable coughs, particularly in the summer, when temperatures can climb over 100 degrees and stay there for days.

Arvin's level of ozone, the primary component in smog, exceeded the amount considered acceptable by the EPA on an average of 73 days per year between 2004 and 2006. Second on the EPA's list was the Southern California town of Crestline, at 65 days. The San Francisco Bay Area averaged just four days over the same period.

. . .

We have a similar problem in the area where I live. Pollution travels in from the NY Metropolitan and NJ areas, and we sometimes exceed max. allowable levels of ozone and other pollutants. One can 'taste' as well as smell the foul odor.
 
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The worst air pollution I've experienced was in Bankgkok, Thailand.
 

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