Ships Pollute Coastal Air

If you live in Southern California, when you think of clean air, frequently you think of the coasts. Heading out to the beach. But as I’ve cautioned for years, consider 1000s of ships along our coasts coming to the ports. Think fine particulate pollution, sulfur dioxide, dirty fuels.

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in the past have taken in close to 50% of all goods coming in the United States. I’m not sure of current percentages but I’m sure even in this down economy, it’s high.

According to a UC San Diego study from the Division of Physical Sciences, primary sulfate, or SO4, is produced when ships burn a cheap, sulfur-rich fuel called bunker oil. Most of the sulfur emitted by ships burning bunker oil is released as sulfur dioxide, or SO2, a gaseous pollutant which is eventually converted to sulfate in the atmosphere. Although SO4 may be a smaller component in ship emissions, the scientists say, these primary sulfate particulates are particularly harmful to humans, because they are especially fine microscopic particles, less than 1.5 microns or millionth of a meter in size. As a result, they can travel extremely long distances because they stay in the atmosphere for longer periods and, unlike bigger dust grains and particles that are removed by the body when breathed, remain in the lungs.

While California-bound ships are supposed to burn clean fuels as of July 2009, I wonder how many do. Is someone reading this article that can tell us if clean fuel use is happening and can be regulated?

In summation, think twice before picking a coastal California town for cleaner air. Click here to read more about the UC San Diego study, the first of its kind studying air quality on coastal regions due to ship pollution.