A month into a hot Texas summer, Dallas-Fort Worth already has surpassed the number of poor air quality days reported in all of 2023.
As of July 18, the region reported 17 days that ground-level ozone, or smog, exceeded levels considered healthy for all populations. In 2023, the area reported 13 ozone air quality alerts.
Jenny Narvaez, air quality program manager for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, said the region must improve its air quality in order to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards by 2027. If North Texas does not reduce its number of ozone alert days by the end of 2026, local businesses that emit certain pollutants could face $45 million in annual fines.
What are the major “point sources” of nitrogen oxide in North Texas?
The most recent data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from 2021 identified these locations as “major point sources” of nitrogen oxide. These locations could potentially be subject to fines if the region does not meet federal air quality standards.
In Arlington:
In Fort Worth:
What’s behind the poor air quality numbers? Narvaez said the combination of meteorological factors with pollution from cars and industrial plants can create an environment in which ozone thrives.
“A lot of this has to do with things out of our control,” Narvaez said. “The heat, the sun, the wind, it’s all the things. It’s like we have the perfect nesting ground for ozone the second the nitrogen oxide hits the air.”
Charlie Gagen, the American Lung Association’s advocacy director for Texas and Oklahoma, doesn’t see ozone presence slowing anytime soon.
“Texas is seeing irregular and record-breaking heat waves, and that is going to lead to more ozone unless we do something to both address climate change and also reduce the sources of those chemicals that are needed to create ozone,” Gagen said.
What is ozone?
Ozone is made up of two parts, the first formed from nitrogen oxide gas. Nitrogen oxide is created from fuel emissions burned at high temperatures, including from automobiles, trucks, factories and power plants, according to the EPA.
The second part of ozone molecules are volatile organic compounds. These compounds are used in manufacturing coolants, pharmaceuticals and paints, and are often components of petroleum fuels and other household cleaning and cosmetic products, according to the EPA.
When the gas and compounds mix, it creates ozone at ground level, which is where it becomes harmful. When the ground-level ozone exceeds a certain amount, it’s classified as an “ozone exceedance day,” Narvaez said.
Cities see the highest amount of ozone in the afternoon and evening, Narvaez said. Smog can cause persistent health concerns — especially for people with preexisting conditions, such as asthma and heart disease.
“Ozone can cause asthma attacks, cardiovascular damage and reproductive and developmental harm,” Gagen said. “It really can impact not just your lungs but your entire cardiovascular system.”
For a day to be considered an ozone exceedance day, air quality monitors must detect an average of 70 parts of ozone per billion or higher.
A map showing all of the monitored areas and their current levels can be found here. Air North Texas, a service run by the council of governments, also sends email alerts about potential poor air quality days.
The Clean Air Act requires regions across the U.S. to reduce their reported levels of ozone to less than 75 parts per billion. So far this year, North Texas’ value is 80 parts per billion.
That number is concerning because the next three years of ozone measurements will determine if North Texas pays annual fines to the EPA. The federal government will take measurements from 2024, 2025 and 2026 and look at the fourth-highest ozone levels of each air quality monitor.
If the averages don’t come under 75 parts per billion, the region will officially have failed the EPA standard, Narvaez said.
From there, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Section 185 fees would be imposed on pollution sources, such as power plants or cement kilns. The fees will be required every year until North Texas complies with the air quality standard, Narvaez said.
There are, however, steps that residents can take to mitigate the presence of ozone. Carpooling, bringing lunch to work, reducing idling, conserving water to reduce energy use, postponing mowing to days that don’t exceed ozone levels, maintaining consistent driving speeds and conserving electricity are all ways to reduce ground-level ozone presence, according to Air North Texas.
“Carpool if you can,” Narvaez said. “In our area, people don’t really have a choice. They have to drive.”
Narvaez emphasized the importance of limiting water usage and using cleaner machines when possible, such as an electric or battery-powered lawn mower.
“If you can limit your energy usage, that’s very helpful,” Narvaez said. “The precursors aren’t just emitted from cars but also power plants.”
Like Air North Texas, Narvaez also suggests reducing emissions to prevent idling.
“You don’t want to sit in a 100-degree car, but if you’re sitting there for a while, then those are just more emissions that are pouring out of your car,” Narvaez said. “But you could turn it off.”
While residents can take action themselves against ozone levels, Gagen said, it will require action from lawmakers to fully reduce pollution and improve air quality.
“To really have the impact we need, we need the federal and state governments to take this more seriously and make continued investments,” Gagen said.
Ryan Thorpe is an audience engagement fellow at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ryan.thorpe@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.