Portland’s reputation as a green city is under review as organizations such as the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Neighbors for Clean Air recently found significant levels of air pollution in the greater metro area. A report released by the DEQ outlined two years worth of air quality data and found elevated levels of 19 toxic air pollutants.
Compounds selected for modeling in the study included naphthalene, benzene, lead compounds, arsenic compounds and formaldehyde. Surprisingly, factories only produced approximately 1 percent of the monitored pollutants within Portland, although different neighborhoods had higher concentrations of industry related pollutants than others. Research indicated the chemicals presence was largely due to the average person’s habits, including commuting, remodeling and using household chemicals.
As a result, scheduled public meetings on the various methods homeowners can take to improve air quality will be held in the last week of May. Individuals interested in reducing their air exposure to toxins can invest in a home air purifier. For example, the IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier is an inclusive unit that can drastically improve air quality in a house and limit the health impact of known pollutants.