Northeast Air Quality Project

By Timothy Duda and Joseph Hewitt

The quality of the air we breathe can have significant health impacts on our population. This is especially true for young children and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. The ozone layer found naturally at stratospheric heights protects us from the dangerous effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, however, when ozone forms near the ground it can have a harmful effect on humans. In addition to damaging plant life, ozone appears to be correlated with lung damage in humans.

Concentrations of ground level ozone, a component of smog, tend to be highest in the summer months when the weather is hot and sunny. It is formed during the daylight hours when nitrogen oxides react with sunlight and volatile organic compounds, such as by-products of engine combustion, and the evaporation of petroleum based products. If stagnant weather patterns persist for several days, then concentrations of this pollutant can reach dangerous levels. Meteorological factors such as stability, temperature, wind, and the amount of sunshine all contribute to the development of ground level ozone.

This summer the National Weather Service Office in Caribou will be participating in the Northeast Air Quality Project. The purpose of this project will be to provide meteorological support to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in support of air quality forecasts issued by these agencies. Although the National Weather Service Office in Caribou will not be issuing air quality forecasts, our forecasters will provide meteorological information such as weather patterns, temperatures, and winds to state and local officials in support of their air quality forecast programs.

Our office’s participation this summer will be our first endeavor in this aspect of forecasting. In the future, the National Weather Service may play a more important role in the field of air quality forecasting.