Air Quality (Seattle: condo, neighborhoods, to live in)

[goldengrain]

I know the water quality in Seattle is great, but I cannot see a lot of heavy industry to cause the bad air quality. Is the air so bad because of the autos?

My husband and I will be moving to a condo in Lower Queen Anne next year, and I just cannot wait!

[chris]

there's quite a bit of heavy industry just south of the city (down through south park and Boeing field). I would agree that most of the air pollution comes from autos (well diesel trucks anyway), and then that air being trapped by overcast weather and stagnant airflow.

Lower Queen Anne is fairly close to the water though, I would imagine you wouldn't notice it as much unless the air was flowing in from the east. When I lived in Ballard (very near the water) I rarely smelled auto fumes but it's much further away from the major arteries.

[scirocco22]

You're right, the Seattle area doesn't have the heavy industrialized polluters that many large cities in the east might have.

Chis is right about the bad air being trapped. However, it's usually under clear conditions. Sometimes Seattle suffers from what is known as "inversion." When this condition exists, the pollution mostly from vehicle emissions or "home burning" gets trapped until the weather conditions change where the wind and/or the frequent rain comes in to clear the air out a bit. That's why Seattle doesn't suffer from real bad smog ...because it's raining a LOT! ...well, drizzly at least.

During these conditions, you'll often hear that there's a "burn ban" in effect where you shouldn't be using your fireplace or doing any outside burning.

Again, air pollution isn't that much of a problem in the Seattle area compared to what it is in a lot of metro areas. Nothing even like a lot of western cities such as SLC (really bad there), Phoenix, L.A., Las Vegas, etc.

Why? Again, because it's RAINING and drizzly so much! *puts on flame-retardant suit* ok, let the flaming begin!


Thanks.

--'rocco

[goldengrain]

So, I guess the rain droplets sort of pick up the particles and deposit them on the ground. Interesting. Thank you.

[AzDreamer]

The Seattle Times had an article recently about the bad air quality downtown near the water from all the container cargo ships. Their emissions dwarf those from cars.

[scirocco22]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

So, I guess the rain droplets sort of pick up the particles and deposit them on the ground. Interesting. Thank you.

*lol* Do I detect a note of sarcasm with that statement, goldengrain?

Well, although I'm thought by some on this board as a "know it all" and arrogant, I really try not to be. If I came across that way, I'm sorry. I'm definitely not a meteorologist so I'm just going by what I read and sometimes that's not right.

The way I understand it is that the pollutant particles are disbursed by the wind and rain. After the pollutants are suspended in the inversion, the wind and rain will disburse them into the atmosphere or so I'm told. Please, those who are experts, kindly correct me.

I'm trying to find the article I have bookmarked that explains it exactly but for the time being, here's an article from a meteorologist with one of the local TV stations:

http://www.komotv.com/weather/asksteve/4348226.html


As far as the majority of pollutants coming from the container cargo ships, I haven't heard that one but it makes sense.

In the past, I've just gone by what the Port of Seatte studies have found that say: "Emissions from gasoline and diesel fuel engines are the largest contributors to air pollution in our region."


Thanks.

--'rocco

[AzDreamer]

Here's a link to an article about where the worst air pollution in Seattle is.

"the most unhealthful air in the state is found in neighborhoods near ports throughout Western Washington"

archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=toxic23m&date=20060223

[AzDreamer]

Here's a map showing cancer risk from air pollution in Puget Sound.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/new.../cancer23.html

[scirocco22]

Hah! Good article, dreamer!

Remind me never to live in downtown Seattle. Jeez!

On second thought, you don't have to remind me, I KNOW I'll never live in downtown Seattle anyway.


Thanks.

--'rocco

[goldengrain]

"*lol* Do I detect a note of sarcasm with that statement, goldengrain?"

No, just my native clumsiness. I should probably re-read what I write before hitting the send button. You are extremely helpful, and I do appreciate it.