Maricopa County Air Quality Department

The Maricopa County Air Quality Department uses several programs to reduce wood burning and the resulting pollution from fine particulate matter.

The EPA recently introduced stronger standards for reducing one of the most common contaminants in Maricopa County’s air: Particles so tiny, they’re only about as big as a human hair is wide.

Ari Halpert with Maricopa County’s Air Quality Department said they’ve been able to reduce this type of pollution over the past 30 years. But the county will have to find ways to make further reductions to meet the new PM2.5 standard by year’s end.

“Our topography, our weather, the fact that we’re a desert – all of that factors into our air quality,” Halpert said. “But there are ways that we can minimize air pollution. And it will take some time but it’s all about community effort, education, and resources.”

The Valley, she said, sees a unique combination that causes something called temperature inversion.

The temperature change and the mountains around the Valley create a kind of lid that traps polluted air near the ground, until things heat up enough to balance it out.

“This can last days, or even weeks,” said Halpert.

Maricopa County Air Quality Department

The Maricopa County Air Quality Department uses several programs to reduce wood burning and the resulting pollution from fine particulate matter.

Burning wood, especially around no-burn days, setting off personal fireworks, driving and idling in the car are all ways we might contribute to building up what’s trapped under that lid.

And those tiny particles, said Halpert, are especially easy to breathe in.

“They can go down to the deepest part of your lungs and can even infiltrate your bloodstream,” she said. “This can cause issues, not only respiratory issues, but even cardiac arrest for our more sensitive groups.”

Halpert said reducing PM2.5 pollution enough to meet the new standard will boil down to public commitment: “We don’t litter, right? So it’s kind of like starting small, and if we’re all aware of how our actions impact everyone as a whole, I think that’s important.”

Even though litter is more visible, Halpert said it’s important to remember: We all breathe the same air.

“And you can definitely see the PM2.5,” she added. “You've seen that layer of dirty air when you're driving down the freeway or when you're not even able to see the mountains on the horizon.”

Maricopa County Air Quality Department

In English: PM2.5 particles, also known as smoke, can be absorbed into the bloodstream and affect pulmonary functions, exacerbate bronchitis and asthma, and increase the risk of a heart attack.