1990	1993	2000	2010
Sources for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) (tons per day)
	Stationary	650	450	420	486
	On-Road (cars, trucks, buses)	820	675	350	165
	Off-Road (trains, planes, boats, construction equipment)	178	115	121	119
	Totals	1,648	1,240	891	770
Sources for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) (tons per day)
	Stationary	190	154	232	104
	On-Road (cars, trucks, buses)	820	794	520	365
	Off-Road (trains, planes, boats, construction equipment)	403	246	130	228
	Totals	1,413	1,194	882	697
Sources for Particulates (PM10) (tons per day)
	Stationary Sources	236	158	175	187
	On-Road (cars, trucks, buses)	41	27	20	14
	Off-Road (trains, planes, boats, construction equipment)	19	14	16	16
	Entrained Road Dust (airborne particles)	210	222	230	246
	Totals	506	421	441	463

Air quality in our region has made a steady improvement for the past 30 years and is projected to improve in spite of the increasing number of vehicles on the road. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has a plan to comply with the Federal Clean Air Standards by the year 2010. However, the plan will not meet the more stringent California State Clean Air Standards, which will continue to have substantial health impacts as outlined below. The projected increase in levels of small air-borne particles (called PM10) that damage the lungs is of special concern. Diesel trucks and cars are a major source of PM10, as is road dust.

[Data and projections from South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).
Note that the South Coast Air Basin includes about 80% of the SCAG region's pollution.]

Health Risks	1990
Number of Children exposed to dangerous air (age 0-13)	3,139,655
Pediatric Asthma Population exposed to dangerous air (age<18)	225,121
Estimated Health Cost Savings if particulate levels reduced*	$3,556,000,000
Estimated Annual Deaths from particulates in the air**	8,800

*[Data from 1990 U.S. Census and 1992 U.S. National Health Interview Survey,
analyzed by American Lung Association in 1995]
**[Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) 1996 Report for South Coast Air Basin area.]

The health impacts of breathing air with high ozone concentrations (rated the most dangerous pollutant in the SCAG region) have been analyzed by the American Lung Association. "A large body of scientific evidence has emerged documenting the harmful effects of ozone pollution at levels well below the current federal ozone standard of 0.12 parts per million (ppm) over one hour. [Ozone exposure is linked] to hospital admission for asthma and other respiratory problems, declines in lung function, increased in the biological markers of inflammation and symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and chest tightness." Exposure to ozone also causes increased allergic responses to common allergens.
According to the 1990 U.S. Census, there are over 3 million children (age 0-13) exposed to dangerous air in the SCAG region. The 1992 U.S. National Health Interview Survey found 225,121 children under age 18 with asthma, which makes them particularly susceptible to pollution. A 1995 American Lung Association report estimated health cost savings of over $3.5 billion in our region, if particulate levels (PM10) were reduced from the weaker Federal standards to meet the more stringent California state air quality standards. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a report in 1996 estimating over 8,800 annual deaths from particulates for the South Coast Air Basin area.