Videos
The Port of Hueneme has produced these videos to help the community better understand air quality in general and the role that the Port plays in monitoring the air quality in Port Hueneme and South Oxnard.
Why – Purpose of community air quality monitoring
The Port of Hueneme is committed to the environment and as a part of that commitment, we are monitoring the community’s air quality. This video depicts the purpose for which monitoring community air quality and helping the community understand the data helps empower our community.
In 2019, there were community concerns about poor air quality in the region.
Concerns towards diesel exhaust from ships, trucks and heavy machinery.
The port of Hueneme was seen as a primary source.
Yet, according to CAL Environ Screen,
the only AQ monitor installed was in El Rio near the 101 freeway.
With no actual data of air quality in South Oxnard.
It meant there was no true understanding of how air quality is affected
in the area.
After listening to the community’s concerns towards health,
the port installed a high tech air quality monitor.
The monitors were installed at Haycocx Elementary, a site that is representative
of the neighborhood and air quality in Port Hueneme and South Oxnard.
Air quality monitoring and data belongs to the community.
Our goal is to help you understand this data
and make reasonable choices together.
Collecting data on air quality long term will help with identifying
trends, possibly bring in new policies for funding to be innovative
and create greener, sustainable jobs.
By being committed to the environment, the community wins.
The Port of Hueneme can become a zero emission port.
With your support.
What – Intro to air quality monitors and black carbon
Here we introduce the air quality monitoring suites which include four separate instruments that make up the monitoring suite. These monitors measure black carbon which is derived from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.
The air quality monitor has four instruments
the Aethalometer, T640,
Wind Instrument, and a temperature measurement.
The Aethalometer measures black carbon.
Black carbon is particulate air pollution formed by incomplete combustion
of fossil fuel, biomass burning and other fuels.
The Aethalometer measures
the diesel particulate matter that contributes to climate change.
The T640 measures variety of particulate matter
every second, minute, hour, and day.
The wind instrument tests wind intensity and direction.
The relationship between inversion layer and temperature
The inversion layer and temperature are two interconnected elements of determining air quality. Temperature is used as an indicator to determine how our atmosphere is behaving. The inversion layer is impacted by temperature, raising when air heats and lowering when air cools.
We measure wind to understand what the wind and weather
drifts are in the region.
It also gives us an understanding of what direction pollution is coming from.
We measure temperature to calculate how local atmosphere is behaving
by determining levels of pollution and humidity for the day
during the day.
The inversion layer warms, raising particulate matter, and as layer cools.
Particulate matter is lower in the atmosphere.
There are many varieties of pollutants in the region.
Pollutants in the inversion layer in Ventura County last for a few hours
or even days and can cause poor air quality.
Early mornings we have an inversion of fog.
Cars, diesel engine trucks running and pesticide drift.
Due to the low temperatures, as the day goes by and the sun rises,
the pollutants rise into the warmer part of the atmosphere.
In the wintertime
there is more temperature inversion and less sunlight as the sun is furthest
away from the earth, causing more polluted air quality.
Air quality pollutants
or concentrations usually don’t get flushed out until high
winds, stormy weather or the cold ocean breeze bring cool air to our land.
Yet pollutants can still build up.
Current Air Quality Data
The Ventura County Air Basin’s air quality is impacted by a variety of elements such as wildfire, cars, and the general change of seasons. According to the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District’s, the air quality in Port Hueneme is overall, good.
Let’s investigate
the data that the air quality monitor captures.
1. wildfire smoke traveling through the state
of California exacerbates all pollutants combined. 2.
cars emitting pollutants on the 101 freeway affecting temperature.
3. winter air quality is worse compared to other seasons
due to compacted, inversion layer and natural burning resources.
Port of Hueneme’s contribution to Ventura Counties, Air
Basin is less than 1% in basin, according to pie charts.
Trucks contribute 0.6% to pollution and based on Ventura County
Air Pollution Control District metrics, the air quality in Port Hueneme
and South Oxnard is overall good compared to the air quality Index.