Is San Diego Air Quality Bad?
San Diego benefits quite a bit from a lot of nature’s gifts – great weather, comfortable living, minimal risk of severe weather – but nothing is perfect. Unfortunately, one of the San Diego area’s shortcomings is air quality. San Diego air historically ranks among some of the worst in the country. However, things are not as bleak as they may sound.
What Is Polluting Our Air?
It’s easy to tell if a home or location has central air or not. Air conditioning is driven by a fan outdoors, typically
Around the world our air quality is suffering significantly because of four groups of pollutants:
- mobile sources (such as cars, trains, buses, planes)
- stationary sources (such as power plants, oil refineries, factories)
- area sources (such as agricultural areas, cities, wood-burning fireplaces)
- natural sources (wind-blown dust, wildfires)
Industrialization has taken a toll on the quality of the air we breathe and the health of our planet. Since the beginning of the 1900s, industrial pollution has dramatically changed our weather, our air, our atmosphere, and our plant life. However, since the mid-90s things have taken a turn. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that even though the industry continues to grow exponentially, our awareness of air pollutants and responsible tactics have grown along with it. Since 1990 all major air pollutants have decreased by an average of 40% and continue to trend downward.
Why Is San Diego Air Quality Bad?
San Diego has the sixth-worst ozone pollution in the country for the fifth year in a row. Means of transportation and constant yearly wildfires are the significant contributing factors for the west coast that lead to the thick and hazardous air that is present in the greater San Diego area. Overall, the west coast suffers from high amounts of smog (smoke and fog) which sits in the atmosphere and causes issues like dark clouds, acid rain, and polluted air.
The air quality varies greatly from day to day too and can be monitored with resources like the San Diego AQU (Air Quality Index) on your local weather app. From there, individuals with respiratory issues or disabilities like Asthma or COPD can plan their day, because poor air quality is very likely to impact the livelihood of individuals with respiratory issues. On days where air quality is listed with high amounts of contaminants, it is advisable to not venture outside for long periods of time.
How Can I Ensure I Have the Best Home Air Quality?
If you choose to stay home more often during poor-air quality days, you’re better off with a reliable and clean source of air filtration, and that all starts with your HVAC system. Make sure you’re having your system inspected regularly and changing/cleaning your filters at a regular interval. To take the next step, you could consider purchasing and installing an air purifier in your home. There are plenty of varieties, from standalone units to larger more industrial-sized ones. If you’re concerned about your home’s air quality, give one of our Same Day Air Specialists a call.
We’ll get it fixed up the same day… or you don’t pay!
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