Air pollution exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards on track to surpass 2013

Iowa air quality monitors have recorded 42 exceedances of ambient air quality standards from sulfur dioxide pollution and 13 from fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution during the first seven months of this year. During all of 2013, a total of 67 exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were recorded involving sulfur dioxide along with 15 involving PM 2.5 (particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns) pollution. As with last year's air monitoring, the majority of the NAAQS exceedances occurred in Muscatine.

A total of 37 sulfur dioxide exceedances were recorded in Muscatine with the remaining five occurring at monitors in Cedar Rapids. Five exceedances of PM 2.5 standards occurred in Muscatine, along with two in Sioux City, two in Davenport, one in Cedar Rapids and one at Viking Lake State Park in Montgomery County. CLICK HERE to download the detailed NAASQ report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources showing the specific air monitor locations, dates of the exceedances and the Air Quality Index (AQI) readings.