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Draft Environmental Impact Report Page IV.D-3 Forward Landfill Expansion The NAAQS are defined as the maximum acceptable concentration that may be reached,but not exceeded more than once per year. California has adopted more stringent ambient air quality standards for most of the criteria air pollutants (known as CAAQS, or State ' standards). The pollutants of greatest concern in the area are 03 and PMlo. The State and National ambient air duality standards are summarized in Table IV.D-1, which also provides a brief discussion of the related health effects and principal sources for each air pollutant. Criteria Air Pollutants The following provides a brief summary of the potential health and welfare effects and typical sources of each of the criteria air pollutants. C i Ozone. Ozone is a respiratory irritant and an oxidant that increases susceptibility to respiratory infections and that can cause substantial damage to vegetation and other M materials. Ozone is not emitted directly into the atmosphere, but is a secondary air F pollutant produced in the atmosphere through a complex series of photochemical reactions involving volatile organic compounds(VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). VOCs and NOx are known as precursor compounds for ozone. Substantial ozone production generally requires ozone precursors to be present in a stable atmosphere with strong sunlight for approximately three hours. Ozone is a regional air pollutant because it is not emitted directly by sources,but is formed downwind of sources of VOC and NOx under the influence of wind and sunlight. Ozone concentrations tend to be higher in the late spring, 1 summer, and fall, when the long sunny days combine with regional subsidence inversions a to create conditions conducive to the formation and accumulation of secondary photochemical compounds, like ozone. " Carbon Monoxide. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a non-reactive pollutant that is a product of h incomplete combustion of carbon materials such as fossil fuels, and is mostly associated with motor vehicle traffic, and in wintertime, with wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. High CO concentrations develop primarily during winter when periods of light winds combine with the formation of ground-level temperature inversions (typically from the evening through early morning). These conditions result in reduced dispersion of vehicle exhaust emissions. Motor vehicles also exhibit increased CO emission rates at low air temperatures. When inhaled at high concentrations,CO combines with hemoglobin in the ' blood and reduces its' oxygen-carrying capacity, resulting in reduced oxygen reaching the brain,heart, and other body tissues. This condition is especially critical for people with cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung disease, or anemia. CO measurements and modeling were important in the early 1980's when CO levels were regularly exceeded throughout California,but in more recent years CO measurements and modeling are not a priority in most California air districts due to the retirement of older polluting vehicles, less emissions from new vehicles, and improvements in fuels. Nitrogen Oxides. When combustion temperatures are extremely high, as in aircraft, truck and automobile engines, atmospheric nitrogen combines with oxygen to form various oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NQ) are the most significant air pollutants generally referred to as NO.. Nitric oxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is relatively harmless to humans, quickly converts to NO2and can be measured. Nitrogen dioxide has been found to be a lung irritant capable of producing pulmonary edema. Inhaling NO2can lead to respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia. I