ARCHIVED REPORTS_1993_1 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

III. Environmental Setting, Impacts, and Mitigations G. Air Quality Ozone(Q31. The federal 03 standard is violated occasionally in some parts of the San Joaquin Valley and,therefore,the Air Basin is non-attainment for 03. Violations of the state standard are more frequent. Ozone is a secondary pollutant produced through photochemical (sunlight) reactions of emitted hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Motor vehicles are a major source of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. As shown in Table HI.G.1, O3 levels in San Joaquin County have exceeded the state standard regularly over the past five years. Particulate Matter jMM 1 Q). Particulate matter(PM10)refers to particulates with an aerometric diameter less than ten microns. Sources of PMIO include stationary point sources such as fuel combustion and industrial processes,fugitive sources such as dust from agricultural sources, traffic on paved and unpaved roads,wind erosion from open land, and transportation sources such as automobile exhausts. Very small particles of certain substances(e.g.,sulfates and nitrates)can cause lung damage directly,or can contain adsorbed gases(e.g.,chorides or ammonium)that may be injurious to health. Particulates also can damage materials and reduce visibility. Table III.G.1 shows that excesses of the State PM10 standard have been recorded regularly in San Joaquin County since 1988. Landfill Gas Emissions Municipal solid waste(MSW)landfills are potential sources of gas mixtures generated from the natural decomposition of organic wastes and vapors from volatile compounds present in the waste. Volatile organics are produced by biological processes or chemical reactions in the landfill. The major factors affecting the air emission production mechanisms are composition of waste, moisture content,temperature,age of landfill,pH, and oxygen and nutrient availability for bacteria. The major factors affecting transport are soil porosity,concentration gradient, compatibility of waste, amount of compaction,overburden weight, and rate of precipitation and evaporation(EPA, 1991 a). Landfill gas consists of approximately 50 percent by volume CO2,50 percent methane,and trace amounts of non-methane organic compounds(NMOL). Other constituents of landfill gas can include ammonia,hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen,hydrogen chloride,carbon monoxide, and a variety of volatile organic compounds(AWMA, 1992). Organic air emissions from landfills may include some toxic compounds and hazardous compounds with carcinogenic and non- carcinogenic health effects. The five major effects of.landfill gas emissions are human health and tvegetation effects from ozone produced by NMOC emissions,carcinogenicity and other possible HI.G.7