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Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Central Valley is seeing less air pollution amid the coronavirus outbreak

Credit: 23ABC News | Bakersfield
Duration: 01:40s 0 shares 1 views

The Central Valley is seeing less air pollution amid the coronavirus outbreak
The Central Valley is seeing less air pollution amid the coronavirus outbreak
The Central Valley is seeing less air pollution amid the coronavirus outbreak

SKIES AS PEOPLE SELF-ISOLATEINSIDE.

OFFICIALS SAY THESCIENCEIS SIMPLE.

LESS CARS ON THE ROADEQUALS LESS POLLUTIONIN THE AIR.HEATHER HEINKS, SPOKESPERSON,SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AIRDISTRICT"SO IF THERE WAS TO BE A SILVERLINING IN ALL OF THIS, WE AREACTUALLY QUITE PLEASED THATPEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUTAIR POLLUTION AND NOTICING THEDIFFERENCE.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE ABIGSOCIAL EXPERIMENT."HEATHER HEINKS IS WITH THE SANJOAQUIN VALLEY AIR DISTRICT, ADISTRICT THAT OVERSEES CITIESTHAT SEE SOME OF THE WORST AIRPOLLUTION IN THE COUNTRY,INCLUDING BAKERSFIELD ANDFRESNO.

SHE SAYS THE DISTRICTHAS TALKED FOR DECADES ABOUTGETTING PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIRBEHAVIOR AND RECOGNIZE THEIRPERSONAL CONTRIBUTION TOPOLLUTION.

HEATHER HEINKS,SPOKESPERSON, SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYAIR DISTRICT"AND SO EFFECTIVELY, THIS WILLDEMONSTRATE, IN MASS, A MAJORREDUCTION IN POLLUTION BASED ONCHANGE IN BEHAVIOR."HEINKS SAYS ONE OF THE MAIN WAYSTHEY MEASURE AIR QUALITY IS BYMONITORING FOR NITROGEN OXIDES-- OR NOX.

NOX IS OFTENPREVALENT IN AREAS WITH A HIGHDENSITY OF TRAFFIC, AND IT'S APRECURSOR TO OZONE CREATION.HEATHER HEINKS, SPOKESPERSON,SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AIRDISTRICT"WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE JUST ONSTRAIGHT DATA OFNOX COMING OFF THOSE MONITORSTHAT THERE IS DEFINITELY LESSPOLLUTION OUTSIDE."PRELIMINARY DATA TAKEN IN THESAN JOAQUIN VALLEY IS SHOWINGTHATTHERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN THEAMOUNT OF NOX IN OUR AIR.

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