It is vital to our lives and yet how often do we think about the air we breathe? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding the annual “Air Quality Awareness Week” on April 28-May 2, 2014, to highlight air quality issues in our country. Pima County Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Air Program carries on the spirit of Air Quality Awareness Week all year by raising community awareness of ways we can all help keep our air healthy to breathe.
Here are some air-related numbers to consider:
We breathe about:
- 960 times an hour
- 23,000 times a day
- 8,409,000 times a year
We inhale about:
- 2 gallons of air a minute
- 3,000 gallons a day
- 1,095,000 gallons a year
And below are ways the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality provides air pollution information and heightens awareness of air quality issues throughout our community.
- Pima County DEQ operates 17 air quality monitors throughout eastern Pima County.
- Pima County DEQ monitors six different air pollutants: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and lead.
- Pima County DEQ monitors gaseous pollutant data from continuous monitors 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Pima County collects and analyzes particle pollution data from over 2,445 filters a year.
- According to Pima County DEQ air quality monitors, 304 days out of the year were rated “good” for air quality in 2013.
- Pima County DEQ provides air quality presentations at 100 locations a year, speaking to 2,500 people a year.
- Pima County DEQ staff participates in 30 events a year, reaching about 50,000 people.
- Pima County DEQ distributes over 50,000 pieces of environmentally-related educational materials each year through libraries, schools, and other outreach opportunities.
For up-to-the-hour air pollution information, to sign up to receive air quality advisories, or for more information on the air you breathe, visit www.pima.gov/deq or call (520) 724-7446.