September 6, 2006
Pollution from eastern China often blows out over the Pacific Ocean. Sometimes, it reaches halfway around the world to North America. NASA Earth Observatory.
New research shows that more and more pollution from China is blowing across the Pacific Ocean and reaching the coast of North America. One-third of the pollution is from dust kicked up by gusty winds due to drought and deforestation. The rest is soot, sulfur, and small amounts of metals from the burning of fossil fuels by industry in eastern China.
According to estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 25 percent of the pollution over Los Angeles and other California cities starts out in China. As industry grows in China, the total could soon reach one-third of all of California’s pollution. Research stations in Oregon and Washington show the same pattern. Large amounts of ozone, carbon monoxide, mercury, and pollutants have been traced to China.
The increased pollution is one of many environmental problems spawned by China’s huge increase in industry. …more…
