Friday, September 6, 2013

California beach fires and particulate emissions

Excerpts from the recent ruling about beach fires in California [full text available at link on right "SCAQMD..."]:


"The particulate emissions rate per minute from one beach bonfire is equal to that from:
  • Three average big-rig diesel trucks; or
  • The secondhand smoke from 800 cigarettes. Wood smoke contains many of the same toxic chemicals as secondhand cigarette smoke."
"Smoke does disperse and is diluted as it travels downwind from a fire pit. An air quality model indicates that the concentration of PM2.5, the key harmful ingredient in wood smoke, decreases by about 98 percent at a distance of 700 feet from a fire pit, SCAQMD officials said."

Why do we allow backyard fire pits?