A group of undergraduates and graduate students from UNBC analysed the air quality in Prince George and determined it’s getting cleaner.
The study was a 12 year project fronted by Environmental Science Professor Dr. Peter Jackson.
He says the team discovered the improvements came from the wind.
“We found that the levels reduced more quickly when the winds were from the east so when the wind carried pollution from the heavy industrial sector near the junction of the Fraser-Nechako rivers the trends were more sharply downward.”
Among the findings are that fine particulate matter decreased overall by 29 per cent during the 12 years, but that was primarily driven by decreased of 35 per cent when the wind came from the east.
the research found the decline in acute levels was also pronounced with wind from the east: a 30 per cent reduction in 98th percentile pm 2.5 levels over the past 12 years.
Another factor contributing to the reduction is that industrial plants in Prince George have been investing in technology to reduce the amount of particulate matter released into the air.
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