Protecting Our Health and Environment

What's in my air?

AirNow, a federal tool managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provides information on current air quality conditions. You can also access information and resources to better understand how poor air quality can impact your health.

2024 Gas Cap Testing and Replacement

Did you know your gas cap could be polluting the air if it doesn't have a tight seal?

Have your gas cap tested during our events in June, and you'll have a chance to win an electric lawnmower! CLICK HERE for full contest rules.

• Monday, June 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Bowling Green State University (Lot 13, Wooster Street and Alumni Drive, near Doyt Perry Stadium)
• Tuesday, June 18, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Near Westgate Village (Former Sears parking lot, 3450 Central Ave., Toledo)
• Tuesday, June 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Monroe Community College (Whitman Center, 7777 Lewis Ave., Temperance, Mich.)
• Wednesday, June 26, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Swayne Field Shopping Center (3024 Monroe St., Toledo)

Common Air Pollutants

Ozone, when it is close to the ground, has damaging effects on health and on the environment. As the main ingredient of smog, ozone can destroy lung and airway tissue by actually burning through cell walls — damaging lungs much like the sun damages skin. Ozone also damages plants in the same way.

Particulate Matter, or PM-2.5, refers to tiny particles that are smaller than 2.5 microns (smaller than the width of a human hair). Particulate matter has several sources including earth moving activities, tires and brake linings as they wear down, smoke, and vehicle tailpipe emissions. Because particulate matter is so very tiny, it easily bypasses your lung’s protective systems.

Carbon Monoxide (CO), an odorless, tasteless, invisible, and poisonous gas, comes mostly from vehicle exhaust. Exposure to carbon monoxide reduces the ability of blood to carry oxygen through the body. High levels of CO exposure can cause headaches, dizziness, visual impairment, reduced manual dexterity and learning ability, and even death. Carbon monoxide reduces the delivery of oxygen to the body’s vital tissues, affecting the nervous system.

Vehicle Emissions and the Air We Breathe

The EPA has established the six major air pollutants that are most dangerous to public health and welfare:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Ozone (O3)
• Particulate Matter (PM)
• Lead (Pb)

When gasoline and diesel fuel are burned in a car or truck engine to produce power, they produce numerous tailpipe emissions including:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
• Particulate Matter (PM)
• Unburned Hydrocarbons

Regulations and other efforts by government and industry since the Clean Air Act was enacted 1970 have greatly reduced typical vehicle emissions. However, in the same number of years, the number of miles we drive has more than doubled!

More Information

Emissions and Ozone