This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

Article for: The Davis Enterprise
Date: December 2, 2005
Author: Pamela Emery

AIR POLLUTION INVESTIGATION TO "AIR" TOMORROW

The air quality index is frequently mentioned as part of the daily news. What do these numbers mean and why are they important? Take a deep breath-that is the answer! One's health and the health of the environment depend on clean air. The air of the Central Valley, of which Davis is a part, is challenged. The increase in California's urbanization means more motor vehicles and the increased need for energy and food. All of these create dirtier air.

Are there simple things that children and their families can do to make a difference?

"Absolutely," says Tara Porter the Urban Outreach Coordinator for UC Davis's Center for Environmental Health Sciences. "My hope is that children and their families can work together to make smart decisions so that our community is a healthier place."

Porter will host the thought-provoking air pollution program "The Air Up There" tomorrow between 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Explorit Science Center. The public is invited to become environmental investigators and explore the causes and effects of air pollution. Visitors of all ages will be able to investigate the air that surrounds them through interactive activities that help them solve a mystery. Participants will take advantage of the resource "Air Now!" developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

This stimulating program, hosted by the UC Davis Center for Environmental Sciences and sponsored by Davis Waste Removal, is one of Explorit's Family Explorations Programs.

Porter believes that individuals can make conscious decisions that will reduce the air pollution challenge. The first step is awareness. Participants will learn how to use ozone test strips and will gather particulate matter from the air. They will then learn the effects of ozone and particulate matter on human and environmental health. With this information they will then be encouraged to personally improve the Central Valley's air quality by making some minor changes in their lives. The thought is that if everyone makes a small change, the air quality can improve significantly.

Ozone is a gaseous pollutant that is not directly emitted from a single source. Rather, it is created when organic compounds react with oxides of nitrogen. The result of these reactions produces ozone, an unstable form of oxygen. Having ozone at the upper end of the earth's atmosphere is useful as it protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet rays. However, when close to the earth's surface, ozone reacts with things including mucus membranes and lungs. Asthma and bronchitis are often the result. Reducing pollutants from vehicle exhaust would help with the ozone challenge.

Particulate matter pollutants including soot, dust and tiny droplets of liquids can cause health problems including headaches, coughing, and throat and eye irritation. If particulate pollution were reduced from sources such as wind-blown dust and emissions from diesel engines, power plants and industries, everyone would certainly breath easier.

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Explorit Science Center is at 3141 Fifth St. in East Davis. The current exhibition "On Shaky Ground: Our Changing Planet" runs through Dec. 11. Public hours are Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.explorit.org or call Explorit at (530) 756-0191.