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APPENDIX 

 AIR QUALITY IN xMECKLENBURG COUNTY 



Various air pollutants in Mecklenburg County have been 

 monitored for several years by the County Environmental 

 Health Department. The results of the monitoring efforts have 

 shown that the levels of ozone and carbon monoxide have often 

 been above the national standards for those air pollutants. High 

 ozone and carbon monoxide levels often result in urban areas like 

 Charlotte where concentrated motor vehicle activity and industrial 

 processes emit more pollution than can safely be dispersed by 

 natural processes (wind, rain, etc.). 



Ozone is formed through a chemical reaction involving nitrogen 

 oxides, hydrocarbons, and sunlight. The chemistry of this 

 reaction indicates that the most effective approach for reducing 

 ozone is to reduce the emissions of hydrocarbons. In Mecklenburg 

 County, as in other urban areas of the country, about half of the 

 hydrocarbons come from motor vehicle exhaust emissions while the 

 other half comes from factories, petroleum storage and transfer 

 facilities, and other industrial facilities. The hydrocarbon 

 emissions from motor vehicles are essentially unburned gasoline 

 vapors, gasoline being composed of several different hydrocarbons. 



Ozone has been monitored at three locations in the county: 

 downtown at the Environmental Health Department; just north of 

 1-85 at Beatties Ford Road; and near V7oodlawn Road to the south. 

 At all of these sites the ozone levels have been higher than the 

 national standard at certain times during the year. Some of these 

 ozone levels have been 5 percent higher than the ozone national 



