Air quality in Sparks

What is the current level of air pollution in Sparks City?

Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, just east of Reno. According to a census conducted in 2019, Sparks had an estimated population of approximately 105,000 people. This ranked it as the fifth most populous city in the county.

Around the middle of 2021, Sparks was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of 34. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants, namely, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, being PM2.5 and PM10. It can be used as a standard when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. The only records available in July 2021 were for PM2.5 which was 3.8 µg/m³ and PM10 which was 37 µg/m³. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a recommended level for PM2.5 of 10 µg/m³, so with this figure, it is not at a very extreme level.

With air quality of this caliber doors and windows can safely be opened wide to allow the clean, fresh air to enter the premises, and all types of outdoor activities can be enjoyed without fear.

Is the level of pollution in Sparks consistent throughout the year?

Looking back at the figures for 2020 released on the IQAir site it can be seen that the worst month for air quality was during September when the reading was 39.1 µg/m³ which classified it as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”. Figures between 35.5 and 55.4 µg/m³ put it in this category. The previous month of August recorded “Moderate” quality air with a figure of 25.4 µg/m³. The following month of October returned “Good” quality air with an average of 11.1 µg/m³. For the remaining nine months of the year, Sparks achieved the target figure of less than 10 µg/m³ as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The best air quality was seen in May when the recorded figure was just 4.3 µg/m³.

Historically, records have been kept since 2017 when the average figure was seen to be 8.4 µg/m³. The following year saw a slight improvement with a figure of 7.7 µg/m³. In 2019 another improvement was recorded when the figure was 5.6 µg/m³. However, this sequence was broken in 2020 when the figure increased to 10.7 µg/m³. This, in itself is unusual because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 situation. Many vehicles were temporarily unused as their drivers were not required to work from the office, instead they were furloughed and were made to work from home. This had the effect of drastically reducing pollution within the city center. Many small factories and non-essential production units were also closed which again lead to an improvement in air quality. Yet, for some reason, Sparks recorded the worst annual average figure since records began.

What are the sources of this air pollution in Sparks?

The National Weather Service has identified dust particles as the reason for the recent poor air quality in Sparks. Winds have blown the dust off the dry lake beds in Oregon and Nevada, delivering coarse particles to the region's air. Clouds of smoke from the wildfires in California and other areas of Nevada are also contributing to poor air quality. The AQI was recently recorded in Reno at 261 which is classified as being very “Unhealthy”. People with pre-existing heart and lung disease should avoid going outside and those of a sensitive nature should reschedule their outdoor activities.

It has also been suggested that there is a higher chance of succumbing to COVID-19 because of the wildfire smoke that is hanging in the air over some parts of Nevada.

Health professionals have reported that hotter temperatures, climate change, wildfires and air pollution, all seem to have some association with a greater risk of COVID-19 cases.

The most devastating wildfires in Californian history are not only ripping through forests and communities but are also causing a wider public health crisis due to polluted air and unhealthy smoke from the burning. This smoke is easily carried by the wind and therefore affects other counties, such as Nevada.

But there are concerns about other contamination as well. One of the fires, the Woolsey Fire, is reported to have begun close to the heavily contaminated Santa Susana Field Laboratory site. A former nuclear and rocket engine testing site, it is seen as one of the most contaminated sites in the US, and local residents have long campaigned for it to be cleaned up. Many residents are concerned that fires burning over this area will become contaminated with other unknown chemicals from this site. There is currently a petition that has already obtained over 450,000 signatures, demanding that something should be done to secure this potentially deadly area.

Other sources of air pollution come from the combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil for electricity and road transport, producing air pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur dioxide. Emissions can also come from industries and factories, releasing large amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals and organic compounds into the air. Agricultural activities, due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers that emit harmful chemicals also contribute to poor air quality.

Air pollution has a major impact on the environment and affects the process of plant evolution by preventing photosynthesis in many cases, with serious consequences for the purification of the air we breathe. It also contributes to the formation of acid rain, atmospheric precipitations in the form of rain, frost, snow or fog, which are released during the combustion of fossil fuels and transformed by contact with moisture in the atmosphere.

On top of that, air pollution is a major contributor to global warming and climate change. The abundance of carbon dioxide in the air is one of the causes of the greenhouse effect. Normally, the presence of greenhouse gases should be beneficial for the planet because they absorb the infra-red radiation produced by the surface of the earth. But the excessive concentration of these gases in the atmosphere is the cause of the recent climate change.

The continual exposure to air pollutants is responsible for the deterioration of human health. Air pollution is a significant risk factor for human health, causing allergies, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as lung damage, to name but a few.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Sparks?

Vehicle emissions are one of the major sources of air pollution. Try to think of ways to get things done that don’t require a car, such as cycles and transit systems. If you must drive, if you can, switch to electric vehicles. Carpooling may be another way of transport to consider.

Contrary to popular belief, diesel vehicles are not the only emitters of fine particles leaving the exhaust; new direct-injection gasoline vehicles also contribute to these emissions. It is all vehicles, regardless of their propulsion system, which generates such particles; quite simply because a good part of it comes from abrasion of tires, brakes and the erosion of the road surface. These represent almost half of the total emissions linked to road transport in urban areas.

The emissions of fine particles by a private vehicle linked to the phenomena of abrasion of tires, brakes and the road are of the order of 5 to 30 mg per kilometer traveled; levels higher than the levels of exhaust emissions of recent vehicles, gasoline as diesel.

Combustion of fuel produces more particulates in the exhaust in diesel engines than in gasoline engines. The older generation diesel vehicles thus emitted large quantities. But the introduction, from 2005, of particulate filter technology, a device which saw widespread use in 2009, has drastically reduced these emissions: diesel vehicles equipped with a filter now emit just a few mg/km of particles whereas they previously emitted around 50 mg/km. Particulate matter emissions from the diesel fleet thus fell by 35 percent between 2004 and 2013, despite the increase in the number of vehicles.

The Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Program operates an ambient air quality monitoring network of gaseous and particulate pollutant monitors throughout rural Nevada, except those areas in Washoe and Clark County. Washoe and Clark County operate and maintain monitoring networks separate from the State and publish their findings independently

The locations of the monitoring stations are selected using U.S. EPA guidance and in general, are established near populous areas. Data from the network is used to demonstrate compliance with and/or progress toward meeting ambient air quality standards and to identify pollution trends. Air monitoring stations may also be set up for special studies for limited periods to address specific issues with air quality in areas where there are numerous complaints, or where the air quality in a small area is affected by a localized activity.

What are the detrimental effects of air pollution in Sparks on our health?

Staying outdoors for usual leisure activities, such as a walk, a swim or a picnic is not a problem. Sensitive people * may, however, experience irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and throat. In the event of intense physical activity, these people may experience a reversible decrease in their lung capacity of between 5 and 10 percent.

Sporting events, endurance sports, and strenuous outdoor physical activity should be planned so that major efforts are produced when concentrations are lowest (usually in the morning or after sunset). Activities in the forest, where ozone concentrations are lower than in open terrain, are more favorable.

In the event of a peak in fine dust pollution, it is recommended to moderate physical efforts in the open air. We inhale thousands of fine particles into our bodies with each breath. The finer the particles, the deeper they penetrate the lungs. The higher the concentration, the more damage to health and diseases may develop. Finally, the more intense our physical efforts, the more pollutants are inhaled.

The World Health Organization reveals that 9 out of 10 people breathe polluted air and that 7 million people die each year due to exposure to fine particles from polluted air. Beyond the quantity present in the air, the size of these particles is taken into account: the smaller they are, the more they penetrate into the body, inducing harmful effects.

Since 2013, particles in outdoor air have been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The toxicity of these particles comes from both their composition and their size. The finer the particles, the more they are able to penetrate deeply into the body and pass through the bloodstream to other organs.

The effects of air pollution on health observed following exposure of a few hours to a few days (acute exposure, known as short-term) are as follows: eye or respiratory tract irritations, asthma attacks, exacerbation of cardiovascular and respiratory disorders which can lead to hospitalization, and in the most serious cases to death.

Long-term exposure to air pollution leads to the most significant impacts on health and the proportion of health effects attributable to pollution episodes remains low. The predominant health impact of air pollution is therefore due to year-round exposure to average pollution levels and not to peaks.

Fine particles, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur are responsible for many deaths per year, making pollution the third cause of death behind tobacco and alcohol. The main culprits are nanoparticles which are generated from multiple sources such as from wood-burning stoves, diesel engines and industry, they are all the more harmful as once in the air, they capture other toxicants (heavy metals, hydrocarbons) before being inhaled and then released as they spread through the blood to all organs.

In the short term and even at low levels of exposure, pollution causes irritation of the nose and throat. But because the nanoparticles infiltrate into the pulmonary alveoli, they also aggravate chronic pathologies such as asthma or bronchitis. This risk is particularly alarming in children, whose developing lungs can be considerably damaged. In the long term, exposure to pollutants promotes the development of lung cancer, especially when it is added to other risk factors such as tobacco.