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  - Health costs to Californians, so far this year, of port related pollution in California.
The Ports of LA  Long Beach Clean Air Action Plan passed in November 2006, and 1500 clean trucks service the ports.
Port Pollution Facts
  • In Long Beach, 20% of children under 17 have been diagnosed with asthma - nearly twice the national average.
  • $67 million: The cost of respiratory problems associated with ports in CA.
  • Diesel Exhaust is responsible for 84% of the cancer risk from air pollution in the Southern California Air Basin.
  • $19 BILLION: Cost on health system due to port pollution. average.
  • Each day the Port of LA emits over 30 tons of NOx, while a half a million cars emits less than 24 tons and the average power plant emits less than 5 tons.
  • 2,400 - Estimated number of premature deaths caused by diesel emissions.
  • 800,000: Number of children that pollution reduction could save from lung disease.
  • Each day the Port of Los Angeles emits over 30 tons of NOx, while a half a million cars emits less than 24 tons and the average power plant emits less than 5 tons.

Pollution Defined

Port pollution is not one thing, it's a collection of chemicals and tiny particles that can seriously damage the health of those exposed to it. Below you can learn about types of air pollution and how each can harm our health.

Particulate Matter (PM)
Particulate Matter ranges from coarse dust kicked up from dirt roads to tiny sooty particles formed when wood, gasoline or diesel is burned. At ports, construction and daily operations often create coarse PM, but it is the tiniest PM that causes the greatest health hazards. Much of this fine PM-so small it is invisible to the eye-comes from diesel engine exhaust. Less than 1/20 the diameter of a human hair, fine PM can travel deep into the lungs, landing in the delicate air sacs where oxygen exchange normally occurs. Numerous studies have found that these fine particles impair lung function, aggravate such respiratory illnesses as bronchitis and emphysema, and are associated with premature deaths. Dozens of studies link airborne fine-particle concentrations to increased hospital admissions for asthma attack, chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia, and heart disease, including an increased risk of heart attacks. School absenteeism due to respiratory symptoms has also been linked to PM pollution. The Air Quality Management District estimates that 90 percent of diesel PM are one micron or smaller (Toxic Air." Long Beach Press Telegram. 2002.), putting it on the smaller side of the PM size spectrum.

Diesel PM emissions from the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach was estimated at 1760 tons per year in 2002.

Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5)
PM stands for Particulate matter, with PM 2.5 referring to particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 microns. These fine particles are less than 1/8 the diameter of a human hair. Diesel exhaust and soot are major sources of PM 2.5. CARB itself found that in 2005, freight transport activity (trucks, trains, ships, equipment) accounted for a staggering 75% of diesel PM emissions in California.

The size of PM 2.5 allows them to easily travel deeply within the lungs where they stay lodged in lung tissue. Toxic chemicals are absorbed within these particles, making human exposure so much more dangerous. Elevated levels of PM 2.5 can cause asthma, respiratory infections, increased risk of cancer, and higher rates of mortality. Especially vulnerable are the elderly, people with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, and children whose lungs are still developing.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile Organic Compounds are often toxic, and when they evaporate into the air they can react with other pollutants to form ground-level ozone, commonly referred to as smog. Common VOCs produced by diesel engines each pose significant health risks, including cancer and birth defects. Common VOCs include benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, and toluene.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
Nitrogen Oxides are a family of chemicals, including nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous oxide, nitrates, and other related compounds. They can cause a wide variety of health problems, including respiratory distress. And they react with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere to create ozone, commonly known as smog. A number of studies have found that NOx can have a toxic effect on the airways, leading to inflammation and asthmatic reactions. In fact, people with allergies or asthma have a far stronger reactions to common allergens, such as pollen, when they are also exposed to NOx.

Ozone (smog)
Ozone is a reactive gas produced when VOCs and NOx interact with sunlight and split apart oxygen molecules in the air. The layer of brown haze it produces is not just an eyesore, but also is a source of serious illnesses. Ozone is extremely irritating to the airways and the lungs, causing serious damage to the delicate cells lining the airways. It contributes to decreased lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, asthma, emergency room visits, and hospital admissions. Ozone can cause irreversible changes to lung structure, eventually leading to chronic respiratory illnesses, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Sulfur Oxides (SOx)
Burning fuels that contain sulfur, such as diesel and especially marine diesel fuels that have a high sulfur content, produce sulfur oxides (SOx). SOx react with water vapor in the air to create acids that irritate the airways, sometimes causing discomfort and coughing in healthy people, and often causing severe respiratory symptoms in asthmatics. SOx include sulfur dioxide, PM, and a range of related chemical air pollutants.

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