Cars, trucks, buses, boats, planes and trains, classified as mobile sources, produce millions of pounds of pollutants every day and are the largest contributors to air quality problems affecting our health and environment. Mobile sources account for about 56% of volatile organic compounds, 79% of nitrogen oxides, and 86% of carbon monoxide emissions.

Business and Industry

Manufacturing and chemical plants, smelters, petroleum production facilities, and electric utilities, classified as point or stationary sources, are generally large emitters of pollutants. Stationary sources account for about 23% of volatile organic compunds, 3% of nitrogen oxides, and 12% of carbon monoxide emissions.

Around Town, On the Farm, and at Home

Small sources of air pollution are all around us. These are known as area sources–each individual source may be small, but taken together the pollution really adds up. Area sources account for about 23% of volatile organic compounds, 3% of nitrogen dioxides, and 12% of carbon monoxide emissions. Here are some examples:

Around Town: Fast food restaurants, dry cleaners, bakeries, gas stations, paint shops

At Home: Fireplaces, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, water heaters, cleaning products, barbeques, aerosol cans

On the Farm: Tractors, farm equipment, waste burning, rice burning, dust from farming and construction, and pesticides

Next - What you can't see can hurt you...

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