ead@tmsoft.uucp (Elizabeth Doucette) (10/31/89)
Toronto has been having unseasonally warm weather for the past week. Along with this we have been having poor air quality. What's happening in the rest of Canada? For readers in Ontario, I have a couple of Toronto phone numbers if you want the current "Air Pollution Index". (416) 235-5781 recording (416) 235-5785 person I was told that anything over 32 is not good for your health. I think this number is really lower (but I don't know how much lower) because their probes are not at street level. They keep the probes above the street level to avoid vandalism. The following are all the places included in the recording. Call the second phone number if a place you're interested in is not on the list. These are the Index numbers as of 09:00 this morning. If there is any interest, I can post numbers when the Index is not good. Toronto Downtown 22 Kitchener 11 Toronto West 46 Waterloo 25 East York 41 Niagara Falls 16 Scarborough 25 St. Catherines 11 North York Central 24 Guelph 32 North York West n/a Hamilton Downtown 41 Etobicoke West 38 Hamilton East 42 Etobicoke South 38 Hamilton Mountain 20 York 73 Hamilton West 36 Burlington 33 Sault Ste. Marie 12 Oakville 36 North Bay 18 Oshawa 20 Sudbury 13 Missisauga 50 Ottawa 24 Windsor University 20 Kingston 7 Windsor College 13 Cornwall 20 Sarnia 16 Thunder Bay 2 London 36 Please post any follow-ups to tor.general. I am interested in Air Pollution Index numbers for other provinces, as a comparison. Elizabeth
ead@tmsoft.uucp (Elizabeth Doucette) (11/11/89)
In article <1989Nov9.110604.6154@contact.uucp> eisen@contact.UUCP (Martin Loeffler) writes: > Just what do the index levels represent? This information is from Dr. Rob Blozum at the Ministry of the Environment. There are six chemicals, or group of chemicals, that are monitored for the Air Quality Index (AQI). Each chemical has it's own AQI calculated. The AQI is related to appropriate concentrations of the chemical and the different risks to people. ** The AQI is calculated for each of the six chemicals or group of chemicals listed below. The AQI that is published by the Ministry of the Environment for the public, is the highest of these six AQI numbers. SO2 --- * smelters (i.e. INCO, Falconbridge, Thompson) * power plants burning coal * steel industry burning coal (coke) (Algoma Steel) * refining oil * gasoline in cars, diesels AQI ppb# # part per billion --- ---- 15 170 32 250 50 340 100 2000 AQI 0-14 very good 15-31 good 32-49 moderate 50-99 poor O3 -- photochemical * NOx + hydrocarbons ---------------> O3 reaction * O3 is highest in the summer months AQI ppb --- ---- 15 50 32 80 50 120 100 200 CO -- * almost 100% from cars * methane ---> CO one hour average ---------------- AQI ppm# # part per million --- ---- 15 12 32 23 50 30 100 50 eight hour average ------------------ AQI ppm --- ---- 15 5 32 10 50 14 100 18 NO2 (NOx) --------- * cars, diesels, 60% * coal fired power plants AQI ppb --- --- 15 120 32 200 50 260 100 530 particulates ------------ * SO2 ---> SO4 forms particulates * nitrate particulates * road dust * car emissions * industrial sources ---> stacks piled up tailings * construction industry * stagnant fog makes particulate readings high because of poor mixing (convective) environmental conditions * particulates tend to be higher in the morning AQI CHU# # Coefficient of Haze Units --- ---- 15 1 32 2 50 4 70 5 100 7 Coefficient of haze units is used instead of grams per cubic metre. The latter is used when the sample has been collected on filter paper over 24 hours and then analysed. For CHU, the light attenuation of the particles on filter paper is measured. There is a direct correlation between the two methods. Each monitoring site has its own CHUs because of the type of particulate matter. total reduced sulphur (TRS) --------------------------- * H2S and other odour causing compounds, i.e. mercaptans * Cornwall and Windsor tend to be high in TRS * steel mills, pulp & paper mills AQI ppb --- ---- 15 5 32 10 50 27 100 1000# # nose is saturated Elizabeth