Particulate matter (PM) pollution is a serious health issue in the San Joaquin Valley Air Basin (SJVAB). Particulate matter is a generic term used to describe a complex group of air pollutants that vary in size and composition, depending upon the location and time of its source. The PM mixture of fine airborne solid particles and liquid droplets (aerosols) include components of nitrates, sulfates, elemental carbon, organic carbon compounds, acid aerosols, trace metals, and geological material. Some aerosols are formed in the atmosphere from gaseous combustion by-products such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), oxides of sulfur (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The size of PM can vary from coarse wind blown dust particles to fine particles directly emitted or formed from chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere. PM10 comprises particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 microns. PM2.5 comprises particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 2.5 microns. The official term is micrometer or one millionth of a meter, however, micron is still in common use.
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