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We measure and analyze air quality.
The Air District operates an extensive air quality
monitoring network that measures concentrations of air pollutants in
the Bay Area. Air District meteorologists use this monitoring data,
along with up‐to‐date weather information, to make air quality
forecasts. Information collected from this network is also analyzed in
the Air District laboratory, and used by staff to develop air quality
models and examine long‐term air quality trends.
Two pollutants that can affect public health in the Bay Area
are ozone and particulate matter. Ozone is the main ingredient in
summertime smog, and particulate matter is composed of an
assortment of extremely small airborne particles, or mixtures
of solid particles and liquid droplets, and is primarily a problem in
the wintertime. (See charts on pages 18 and 19.)
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