The document provides information about an air quality organization that monitors air pollution, regulates industrial emissions, and educates the public about air quality in four counties in Ohio. It discusses the history of air quality regulation in Cincinnati dating back to the 1880s. It also discusses common sources of air pollution like cars and factories. The document answers questions about smog formation and explains how air quality alerts are issued based on the Air Quality Index. Finally, it provides tips individuals can take to help improve air quality like reducing idling, recycling, and using CFL light bulbs.

2. What We Do
Monitor air pollution
Regulate industrial air emissions
Teach people about air quality
We cover
Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and
Warren counties.

3. A little air quality history….
Cincinnati City Hall
1940 Present Day

4. A little air quality history….
Cincinnati passed its first smoke ordinance in 1881
Office of the Chief Smoke Inspector was created in 1907
1st Annual Cleaner Air Week took place in October 1949
Excessive Car Smoke Law Passed in 1957
Automobiles could not release excessive smoke or drivers would get
a ticket; drivers also had to get their cars tested annually for exhaust
fumes.

5. Question & Answer
What is the main source of air pollution in
Cincinnati?
A. Factories
B. Cars
C. Airplanes
B.) Car exhaust contains dangerous pollutants that
can negatively affect our air quality and health.

6. What else causes air pollution?

7. What else causes air pollution?

8. Air Pollution:
The Dirty Half Dozen
1. Ground Level Ozone: main source of smog:
car exhaust, gas vapors, industrial emissions.
2. Particulate Matter (PM): soot, dust and dirt in the air.
3. Nitrogen Dioxides (NOx): car exhaust and power plants;
another main source of smog
4. Carbon Dioxide (CO2): car exhaust.
5. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): burning coal at power plants.
6. Lead: emissions from motor vehicles and industrial sources.

9. Question & Answer
What happens in the summer when there is a
lot of air pollution and it get really hot & humid?

10. What is Smog?
Ground level ozone
+ particulate matter
+ sunlight
SMOG
Ozone is a combination of NOx and VOCs.
NOx is short for nitrogen dioxides, a pollutant from cars and power
plants.
VOCs are fumes from paint, cleaning supplies and pesticides.

11. Good vs. Bad Air Quality Day

12. How do we decide when to
issue a smog alert?

13. Air Quality Index
The Air Quality Index
(AQI) shows how clean
or polluted the air is
each day.
Air Quality Index Protect Your Health
Good 0-50 No health impacts are expected when air quality in this range.
Moderate 51-100 Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting
prolonged outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy for 101-150 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory
Sensitive disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion.
Groups
Unhealthy 151-200 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory
disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor
exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit
prolonged outdoor exertion.
Very 201-300 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory
Unhealthy disease, such as asthma, should avoid all prolonged outdoor
exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit
outdoor exertion.

14. SouthwestOhioAir.org

15. Next week (April 30 – May 4) is
Air Quality Awareness Week!
How can you do your
share for clean air?

16. Don’t Idle!
Idling is leaving a vehicle’s engine running
when it is parked or not in use.
This often happens when people are:
• Waiting to pick someone up
• Running errands
• Sitting at the drive-thru
FACT: Idling a car for 30 seconds uses more
gas than turning it off and on!

17. How Does Idling Affect
the Environment?
Car exhaust contains pollutants:
NOx and carbon dioxides

18. How Does Idling Affect
Your Health?
Inhaling exhaust from idling vehicles can:
Aggravate asthma:
A disorder that causes the airways of the lungs to swell
and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath,
chest tightness and coughing.

19. How Does Idling Affect
Your Health?
Inhaling exhaust from idling vehicles can:
Cause headaches
Induce coughing or difficulty breathing
Decrease lung function
Worsen heart conditions
Lead to chronic bronchitis

20. What are Some Tips for
Reducing Idling?
Walk, bike or take the bus.
Avoid drive-thrus.
Don’t use remote starters.
Don’t try to warm up the car by letting it sit in the
driveway with the engine running.
The best way to warm up the car is to drive.

21. Do Your Share for Clean Air!
Recycle!
Compost!

22. Do Your Share for Clean Air!
Conserve Water!
• Take shorter showers.
• Only run the laundry with a full load.
• Wash dishes by hand so you run the dishwasher less.
Conserve Energy!
•Turn off the TV.
• Turn off the computer and video games
when you finish.
• In the summer, turn up the AC to 78
degrees.
• Turn off unused lights.
• Switch to CFLs!

23. Bright Idea!
What do light bulbs
have to do with air
quality?
Replacing just one regular light bulb
with a CFL can save 600 pounds of
coal at a coal-burning electric plant.

24. Pop Quiz
High ozone pollution levels are most likely to occur during
a. cold, rainy days
b. cool, windy nights
c. hot, sunny days
Ground level ozone is
a. one of the main parts of smog
b. formed on hot, sunny days when (NOx) and (VOCs) combine
with sunlight
c. makes it difficult to breathe
d. all of the above
Which of the following would reduce ozone pollution?
a. Carpool or use public transportation
b. Limit your speed to 55 m.p.h. on highways
c. Have your car tuned and inspected regularly
d. All of the above

25. Pop Quiz
During ozone season, people can help reduce ozone by
a. mowing the lawn after 8 p.m.
b. carpooling or by reducing use of cars/vehicles on days when
high ozone levels are predicted
c. limiting the use of oil-based paints and other VOCs
d. all of the above
Which statements are true about car idling?
a. Idling is bad for our health.
b. Idling causes unnecessary pollution.
c. Idling uses less gas than turning the car off and back on.
d. all of the above
e. A and B
f. B and C
The Air Quality Index measures
a. whether or not the sun will shine today.
b. the weather forecast
c. how much air pollution there is today.

26. Hybrid Cars
Regular cars use just gas to power the engine.
Hybrid cars use a battery, a motor and gas to power the engine.