Causes of Pollution in Central Valley of California - Essay Example

Central Valley of California is one of the most polluted areas in California. From the report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2011 for air quality in cities the world, 36 of the 375 US cities included in the list exceeded the air quality standard of an average of 20 micrograms of particulates/sq.m. However, of the ten worst cities regarding air pollution, five are located in Central Valley of California. This includes the cities of Bakersfield, Fresno, and Modesto. The three cities sit at the heart of the country's farming center where eight counties account for the country's 50% fruits and vegetables.

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The major source of pollution in the area is farming activities. Farmers usually burn cuttings and bushes in the farms toward the end of the harvest season in preparation for planting season. The burning of cuttings and bushes is associated with much of the pollution witnessed in the area. But the geographical structure of the area is also responsible for the high accumulation of particulate matter in the air. The unique nature of the valley makes it draw pollutants and retain them suspended in the air. The topography of the place acts like a bowl, and the inversion of temperatures from the neighboring areas make it acts like a lid that traps polluted air.

Besides burning of twigs and bushes or vegetable matter on farms, other activities contribute to the pollution including heavy traffic on the highways, oil drilling, and wind blowing into the area bringing in contaminated air from the Bay area of Los Angeles and other places. Other minor contributors include heavy diesel locomotives, irrigation pumps and tractors, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves (EPA).

In order to understand clearly the causes of pollution in the California Central Valley, it is important to divide them into two: mobile and stationary.

Stationary sources. Stationary sources of pollution in the valley can be further divided into two: area sources and point sources. Point sources are large sources. These sources can be easily identified. They include industrial facilities as well as operations. On the other hand, area sources include individuals that are responsible for emitting smaller quantities of pollutants. Some of these individual sources of pollutants include products that are used by individuals. The products include nail polish as well as deodorants. The point sources also include chemicals used in the construction industry but are used by people in small construction work. Such chemicals include paints used for painting homes and other structures. According to Marcum, pesticides are another group of pollutants that emanate from individual small farms. The combined cumulative use of pesticides used by individual farmers creates pollution in the valley. Agricultural burning or burning of agricultural produce is considered a point source of pollutants. After harvesting crops, farmers burn twigs and leaves to clear the land as part of the preparation for the planting season. Farmers also burn bushes to clear new fields of herbs and tickets before ploughing them. The smoke emanating from the farms rise and pollute the atmosphere. There are many other types of stationary source. Agricultural activities such as toxic gasses from animal manure produced in the farms also add to the pollution problems.

One of the industrial processes such as emissions at Cottage Bakery represents a form of stationary source. Cottage Bakery emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate pollution at San Joaquim Valley. At Cottage Bakery, VOCs are generated at the ovens. During the manufacturing of bread, ethanol, classified as VOC, is produced during the stage of bread leavening stage. Ethanol is later released during the stage of baking bread (EPA). Poorly operated landfill gas system at Manteca has been blamed for causing multiple fires which end up polluting the atmosphere (EPA). The landfill at Manteca releases methane, air toxics, and organic compounds into the atmosphere. Methane is generated from the decomposing wastes and is released into the atmosphere. The decomposing waste also catches fires sometimes, and the fires lead to the emission of PM. Biomass electric power plant located in Tracy and solid fuel-fired boiler used to generate electricity in the valley emits nitrogen oxides, some, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide (EPA). Steam generators at Bakersfield oil field emit greenhouse gasses (EPA). Concentrated animal feeding operations have also been associated with the emission of VOCs especially methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas. Wine fermentation is an agricultural activity that has been associated with the emission of VOCs. Ammonium nitrate fertilizers contribute to the emission of ammonium compounds into the air (CDFA).

According to (Sauter, Stebbins, and Frohlich), Los Angeles-Long Beach experiences pollution because of many reasons. Some of the causes of pollution include a high volume of traffic at the port that creates a lot of emissions that pollute the region. Further, other sources include high concentrations of power plants and also other numerous facilities such as oil and gas, electricity power plants, and that release vast quantities of carbon emissions each year.

Mobile sources. Mobile sources of pollution can be categorized into two major sources: mobile road sources and non-road mobile sources. On-road sources of pollution include light, heavy, and medium capacity vehicles that pass by the roads in the Valley. The on-road uses also include motorcycles. Heavy drugs carrying transit goods emit a lot of smoke. The situation is worse when there is a lot of traffic, and the traffic is moving slowly. The trucks used to operate Manteca landfill emit pollutants (EPA). The pavement of rural roads also causes pollution. In Bakersfield, the region's poor air quality is a product of pollution associated with emissions generated by cars as well as trucks traveling across the region's major highways (Sauter, Stebbins, and Frohlich).

Non-road sources of pollutants involve trucks and equipment that are powered by diesel, but they are located in the valley. They include construction equipment such as trucks used for constructing roads and other civil works. The construction equipment also includes those used in the construction of buildings in the area. Furthermore, they include tractors used by the farmers to carry out various activities in the farm such as plowing farms, planting crops, harvesting produce, transporting harvested produce, and processing farm produce. There is also railway passing through the valley. Diesel used to power engines of trains is a major source of pollution from trains. Ships passing by the bay area also emit a lot of smoke from their engines. The emitted smoke is blown by the wind toward the valley. Like ships, aircraft passing over the valley also emit vast quantities of smoke over the Valley.

Other than mobile and stationary sources, their sources can also be classified as PM 10 sources, natural sources, and domestic sources

PM10 Sources

PM10 sources can be further categorized as anthropogenic or human activity and non-anthropogenic or natural sources

Anthropogenic sources: This includes agricultural activities combustion of fossil fuels or wood, entrainment of road dust into the air, and earth moving equipment. Combustion of fossil fuels includes burning of industrial oil or diesel for generating steam or power. Wood is also a fossil fuel and is burned at farms to generate energy or for steam boilers. Road dust occurs either due to dust is blown by fast moving cars or dust that arise as a result of construction activities. Earth moving equipment, whether on farms or roads, also generate dust that is blown by the wind and rises above the valley. Marcum pointed out that pesticides and emissions from the meat rendering plant are some of the local sources of anthropogenic pollution. In Bakersfield, a combination of the topography and industrial composition makes it a conducive area for air pollution (Sauter, Stebbins, and Frohlich).

Nonanthropogenic sources. They include wildfires and windblown dust. During dry seasons, the probability of a wildfire occurring is very high. This can happen when the farmers are preparing farms for the planting season. As they burn bushes or the farm wastes, fires may be spread by the wind to the nearby thickets and bushes. The wildfires created can destroy a vast field of untilled land, and in the process, it emits a lot of smoke which rises and hang over the valley. Windblown dust can be either within the valley or from the neighboring areas. For example during dry seasons and when farms have been ploughed, strong winds blowing across the valley pick up tiny soil particles. The soil particles are blown by wind higher up the valley where it gets suspended. Windblown dust can also be as a result of dust blown from neighboring areas.

In the Central Valley in California, the presence of occasional wildfires has been associated with nonanthropogenic pollution. Further, the topography of the area also plays a key role in worsening the situation. The topography is such that the mountains that are located on three sides of the valley help in trapping pollution emanating from the San Francisco Bay Area in the valley. The topography also helps in trapping the particulates produced by power plants as well as other carbon emitters. In Fresno-Madera, hot and dry weather often generate dust storms as well as wildfires. Bakersfield is also affected.

In Bakersfield the annual particle pollution is reported to have worsened last year, partly following a severe drought in the area. Additionally, the regions topography is conducive for air pollution (Sauter, Stebbins, and Frohlich).

Works Cited

California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA). Air Quality and Agriculture. https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/agvision/docs/Air_Quality_and_Agriculture.pdf. Accessed 8 April 2017.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). San Joaquin Valley Landfill to Spend $3.8 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations. https://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/baf2458a998ce62e852579cf005ffef4. Accessed 8 April 2017.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ralcorp Commercial Bakery in Lodi to Pay More than $1.3 Million for Air Violations. https://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/54cb8872cf4e52f285257a2900604776. Accessed 8 April 2017.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA Resolves Air Violations with Thermal Energy Development Partnership in Tracy, California for $145,000. https://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/4fd6a59aab0c1ff285257b0100682988. Accessed 8 April 2017.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Company Self-Discloses Air Violations. https://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/da91380c4b0ea18685257ad000703d4b. Accessed 8 April 2017.

Marcum, Diana. Fresno ranks No. 1 on California pollution list. Los Angeles Times, 23 April 2014. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-fresno-pollution-20140424-story.html. Accessed 8 April 2017.

Sauter, Micahel B., Stebbins Sam and Frohlich Thomas. The most polluted cities in America. USAToday, 22 August 2015. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/08/22/24-7-wall-st-most-polluted-cities/32130565/. Accessed 8 April 2017.