June 20, 2002 LOS ANGELES (AP) -- California could have the world's strictest standards for the emission of dangerous microscopic pollutants under revisions being considered by the state Air Resources Board.
It could be at least a decade, however, before there is technology in place to allow the standards to be met.
The proposed changes, to be reviewed during a two-day meeting Thursday and Friday, target pollutants made up of particles of soot and dust that are one-seventh the diameter of a human hair or smaller.
The particles - smaller than 10 microns in diameter, or PM10 - come from a variety of sources, including combustion in cars and power plants, as well from the agricultural industry.
They can contain heavy metals that contribute to lung, heart and other health problems. In recent years, studies have linked them to the deaths of thousands of Californians.
"You probably get the biggest dose from the vehicle in front of you" in traffic, said Air Resources Board spokesman Jerry Martin. "In most vehicles, filtering systems are not equipped to handle particles this small."
The Air Resources Board estimates that on an average daily basis, 99 percent of Californians are exposed to air that exceeds current health standards for such particles, which are so small they can lodge deep in the lungs.
As much as 2,431 tons of the tiny particles were emitted every day in California last year, according to the Air Resources Board.
The Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization that favors stricter air standards, said an analysis of state data shows particulate pollution kills 9,300 Californians a year.
Cass Andary, director of regulatory programs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the Southfield, Mich., group opposes the new standards.
"Any time you have an ambient air quality standard, which in this case is going to be very, very hard to meet, the next step is implementing controls," Andary said. "We think we are already well controlled."
According to Bonnie Holmes-Gen, a lobbyist for the American Lung Association of California, PM10 standards have not been reviewed for 20 years.
"Since then, there have been hundreds of new studies on premature mortality, emergency room visits, school absences and other health impacts related to elevated particle levels in the air," Holmes-Gen said.
The air board also will consider imposing for the first time annual standards for particles 2.5 microns across and smaller. These even tinier pollutants are commonly produced by burning fuels and are believed to be especially toxic.
Copyright 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
