ARIZONA NEWS

Maricopa and Pinal counties to be part of national air quality study

Jan 29, 2025, 8:05 AM | Updated: 8:52 am

PHOENIX — Maricopa and Pinal counties both failed to meet federal air quality standards and will now become part of a national study.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and Arizona State University’s (ASU) Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory will partner together with air quality experts around the country to address the increase in ground level ozone concentrations in Maricopa and Pinal counties.

How did Maricopa and Pinal counties fail air quality standards?

When an area doesn’t meet air requirement standards, it is labeled as nonattainment and is classified as marginal, moderate, serious or severe. Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County were designated as serious nonattainment areas for ground-level ozone concentrations and could reach severe nonattainment levels by 2027, according to ADEQ.

The ozone is a gas without color or odor, which protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet sun rays. When the ozone layer gets at ground-level where it can be breathed in, it can become a public health concern, according to ADEQ. Pollutants that are harmful to breathe in can come from cars, power and industrial plants and paint solvents.

Ozone exposure can cause health issues such as difficulty breathing, lung damage, coughing and cause problems for those with asthma and other lung diseases, particularly in children, teens and older adults.

How will the study be conducted?

The study is called the Ground Level Ozone Research (GLOR) Project and includes scientists and experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Maricopa County, Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), ASU and the University of Arizona.

The team found eight primary hypotheses and created a research plan to look into “atmospheric transport, precursor emission rates and chemical transformations.” The research results can help update the Phoenix Ozone State Implementation Plan, which helps to improve air quality.

The GLOR Project raised $5.4 million, while receiving $4 million from the state. The additional $1.4 million in funding came from Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, MAG and other entities.

The study is set to start this spring and will take approximately a year to finish.

“Arizona isn’t waiting for solutions to come from somewhere else — we’re bringing together air quality experts to tackle our ozone challenges head-on and gain a deeper understanding of ozone formation in our unique environment,” ADEQ Deputy Director Karen Peters said.

“Through the GLOR Project, we’re creating a scientific framework that can inform air quality management strategies here in Arizona and across the nation.”

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Maricopa and Pinal counties to be part of national air quality study