WHY DUST IS A PROBLEM IN CALIFORNIA
Even with improved drought conditions, dust control is still important. According to The Air Resources Board of California, our weather contributes to the fugitive dust problem. Unlike most other areas of the country, we have a wet season and a dry season. Long, hot summers allow the soil to dry out thoroughly and, if the surface is disturbed repeatedly, the soil may have months to blow away before normal rainfall can again saturate and hold it in place. Some areas are also prone to seasonal winds, which make matters worse.
A HEALTH HAZARD
About half of fugitive dust particles (by weight) are big particles, larger than 10 microns in diameter (the average human hair is 70 microns in diameter).These larger particles settle out more quickly, on the ground and
in your upper airways. However, the other half are particles 10 microns or smaller, or PM10. Due to their very small size and weight, PM10 particles can remain airborne for weeks. When inhaled, PM10 particles can travel easily to the deep parts of the lungs and may remain there, causing respiratory illness, lung damage, and even premature death in sensitive individuals.
The PM10 pollution problem in California is widespread and severe. People in California are exposed to unhealthful levels of PM10 more frequently than to any other air pollutant measured. At over half of the sites monitored, the highest daily measurements are more than twice the State standard, which is based on minimizing adverse health effects.
Because fugitive dust PM10 particles come directly from the source, they are classified as primary particles. Certain pollutant gasses can undergo physical changes or chemical reactions to form much smaller secondary particles, which are the most harmful types of PM10.
Fugitive dust or dust not coming from a combustion source accounts for about 90% of all primary PM10 emissions.
FUGITIVE DUST CONTROL HANDBOOK
For more in-depth information regarding fugitive dust particles click here to download a handbook offered by The California Air Resources Board. The overreaching message is, monitor activity and address dust problems proactively, in accordance with your local air pollution control district (APCD)
Click here to download your free copy>
CANYON HYDROSEEDING – DUST CONTROL, AND EROSION SPECIALISTS
Canyon Hydroseeding offers both residential and commercial hydroseeding, erosion control, and dust control services in California. Our experience crews have decades of experience resolving even the most complex vegetation, soil, or dust related issues. Call us today for a free assessment at (951) 680-1949.
WHAT IS PM?
Atmospheric particulate matter – also known as particulate matter (PM) or particulates – are microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in the Earth’s atmosphere.