
Sources:
Bay Area Air Quality Management
District, Bay Area Pollution Summary (annual summaries, 1993-2001)
California Air Resources Board, 2002 California Almanac
of Emissions and Air Quality San
Francisco Department of Public Health, 2002 - 2003 Annual
Report, p. 35.
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Particulate matter air pollution consists
of very small floating particles that can be inhaled into the deepest
parts of the lung. Particulate matter can aggravate respiratory
problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Sources of particulate matter
include industrial emissions, motor vehicles, road dust, construction,
demolition and residential wood smoke. The state standard for the
maximum amount of particulate matter in the air in a 24-hour period
is 50 micrograms per cubic meter (mcm).
San Francisco has exceeded the state
standard (which is stricter than the federal) for particulate matter
on some days in the past few years, including 12 days in 2002. However,
the City has had far fewer days in which it exceeded state standards
than in years 1989 -1992. The City has not recently exceeded state
or federal standards for ozone or nitrogen oxide.
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