Industrial expansion, more vehicle miles traveled, higher driving speeds, and increased energy demands are all factors that contribute to poor air quality in metro Atlanta .
Ground-level ozone (smog) is formed by a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. Ozone concentrations can reach unhealthful levels when the weather is hot and sunny with little or no wind.
Since Georgia ’s Enhanced Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program started in 1996, a lot has happened around Atlanta . Our population topped the 4 million mark. Thousands of homes were built, plus millions of square feet of office space. And now we have more than 3 million vehicles clogging our roads, adding to the smog. But some good things have happened, too, thanks to emissions testing.
More than 1 million polluting vehicles have been identified and repaired. And tons of pollutants and particulate matter that aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma have been kept out of our air.
Our region is beginning to experience measurable air quality benefits. There have been fewer unhealthy air days and, for the first time in 25 years, metro Atlanta is in attainment for the one-hour ozone standard - a federal measurement to determine the point at which air becomes unhealthy.
Annual testing is doing an even better job of keeping up with metro Atlanta 's growth. Polluting vehicles are being identified and cleaned up sooner. And that means even better things are happening to the air we breathe.
