AIR POLLUTION IN THE CALIFORNIAMEXICO BORDER REGION

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AIR POLLUTION IN THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER
REGION

• Al Sweedler
• Center for Energy Studies
• Department of Physics
• San Diego State University

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AIR POLLUTION IN THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER
REGIONOutline

• Collaborators (individuals and agencies)
• Background information about region
• Air pollution monitors and measurement of
  pollutant concentrations
• Recommendations for cleaner air

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Collaborators

• Al Sweedler (SDSU)
• Matt Fertig (SDSU)
• Stephanie Diemel (SDSU)
• Camilla Kazimi (SDSU)
• Paul Ganster (SDSU)
• Margarito Quintero (UABC)
• Felipe Cuamea (UABC)
• Juan Alvarez (UABC)

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Collaborating Agencies

• San Diego Air Pollution Control District
• San Diego Association of Governments
• California Air Resources Board and USEPA
• Texas Natural Resources and Conservation Comm.
• Municipality of Tijuana and Mexicali
• Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes
• SEMARNAP
• Binational Air Quality Alliance

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Historical and Projected Population Growth in San
Diego and Tijuana
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Population Growth in San Diego and Tijuana,
1960-2020
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Comparing San Diego and Tijuana
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Location of Ambient Air Monitoring Stations
Within the US-Mexico Border Region
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Ambient Air Monitoring Stations in the San
Diego-Tijuana Region
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Pollutants Measured

• Particulate Matter 10 micrometers or less
  in diameter (PM10)
• Lead (Pb)
• Sulfur Oxides (SOx) - measured as SO2
• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) - measured as NO2
• Ozone (O3)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)

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US and Mexican Ambient Air Quality Standards
Mexico US
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Air Pollution in San Diego County
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Sources of Air Pollution

• Stationary sources power plants, factories,
  buildings
• Mobile sources cars, trucks, buses, off-road
  vehicles, ships, planes, trains.
• Area wide sources unpaved roads, fires,
  agriculture activities.

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SMOG - OZONE

• Oxides of Nitrogen (NO, NO2)
• Hydrocarbons
• Sunlight
• Photochemical reaction OZONE

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Basin Days Over 1-Hour Federal Ozone Standard
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1999
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
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Local Ozone PrecursorEmissions Trends
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Air Quality Monitors in Tijuana
x
x
x
x
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(TJ)
(TJ)
(TJ)
(TJ)
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Pollutant Concentration, Wind Speed and Wind
Direction
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Playas de Tijuana Site April - June 1997
West
East
South
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ITT Site April - June 1997
West
East
South
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For the Tijuana-San Diego Region

• Ozone is the main pollution problem in the San
  Diego-Tijuana region.
• Caused by high levels of NOx, originating
  primarily from mobile sources.
• Evidence of transborder transport of pollutants.

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Air Monitoring Sites in the Imperial
County-Mexicali Region
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Summary for the Imperial-Mexicali Valley Region

• Large exceedences of particulates observed on
  both sides of border.
• Particulates air pollution more of a problem in
  this region important than gaseous pollutants.

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To improve air quality on both sides of the
border it will be necessary to

• switch from oil and LPG to natural gas in the
  power, industrial, commercial and residential
  sectors.
• develop alternative fuels for use in the
  transportation sector (CNG, fuel cell, hybrids,
  EV).
• develop a realistic smog reduction and vehicle
  inspection program which include heavy-duty
  commercial trucks.
• develop indigenous non-fossil fuel based energy
  sources in the border region (solar, wind,
  geothermal)
• develop and implement energy efficiency standards
  for buildings in border region
• particulate pollution needs to receive high
  priority in Imperial-Mexicali region.

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To improve air quality on both sides of the
border it will be necessary to (continued)

• maintain operation of monitoring stations to
  provide long term data on ambient air quality and
  determine impact of mitigation strategies.
• conduct wind pattern to determine extent of
  transboundary transport of air borne pollutants.