The Los Angeles Basin Pollution Problems Essay Example for Free

The Los Angeles Basin Pollution Problems Essay Final draft The significant air pollution problem in the Los Angeles Basin has been one of the most severe environmental issues that concerned the society. Due to the American tradition, public transportations are not so commonly used; therefore, a majority of the individuals owned a car. The most commonly used transportation is the convenient motor vehicles that are driven everywhere. With the high volume of traffic daily, the tremendous amount of air pollution that is produced by highly-polluted vehicles are growing at an exponential rate Although the government has been putting a massive amount of work into preventing additional air pollution from being continuously produced and also trying to wipe out the polluted air that already existed, it is still the most challenging environmental issue in America. Statistically proven that â€Å"in Southern California, episodic outdoor levels of ozone (O3), particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) historically have been among the highest in the United States, and they continue to exceed federal and state clean air guidelines.† (Kà ¼nzli et al., 2003, p.1) CAUSE Historically, * â€Å"The first recognized episodes of smog in Los Angeles occurred in the summer of 1943. Visibility was limited to only three blocks and residents suffered from smarting eyes, respiratory discomfort, nausea, and vomiting†¦ Smog events continued to plague Los Angeles throughout the 1940s.† â€Å"The City of Los Angeles began its air pollution control program in 1945, establishing the Bureau of Smoke Control in its health department. On June 10, 1947.† â€Å"During the 1940s and 1950s, air pollution control focused on obvious sources, such as backyard burning and incinerators, open burning at garbage dumps, and smoke emissions from factories. During the 1950s and 1960s, local air quality officials implemented the use of vapor recovery equipment for the bulk transfer of gasoline, regulated petroleum-based solvents, and required permits for rendering plants that processed animal waste. Starting in 1970, the federal government phased out lead in gasoline. In 1975, the first oxidizing catalytic converters to reduce CO and hydrocarbon tailpipe emissions came into use as part of CARB’s Motor Vehicle Emission Control Program.† (2007, pp. 276-278)