Air Pollution in North Pole Hits All-Time High!

A North Pole monitoring station in the borough of Fairbank, Alaska reported a record high for air pollution on January 5 based on their preliminary data.

The monitoring station found that cold and polluted air was trapped in the Tanana Valley due to an inversion, with air pollution concentrations crossing into what is deemed a "very unhealthy" range by the station.

Borough Air Quality Manager, Ron Lovell said that the 24-hour average reached a concentration of 169 micrograms per cubic meter of air; a record since the borough started monitoring air quality in 2012 at the Hurst Road fire station. This concentration is almost five times the 35-microgram limit set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The measurement remains preliminary for now, Rob Lovell explained, as the accuracy of the reading must be confirmed which can take up to a month to process. He admits that sensors are also more likely to give inaccurate readings on colder days, which are commonly the most polluted.

If the measurement is confirmed, it will break the North Pole's unhealthy air quality record from November 25, 2012, where 158 micrograms per cubic meter of air was measured.

Incredibly, new research has suggested that climate change is causing the North Pole to drift, which is triggering the axis of the earth to alter. For more information on this worrying story, read: North Pole Shift 'Due to Climate Change'.

Air quality in the borough of Fairbank, Alaska

Fairbank air quality monitoring station has also reported that the air quality in the borough of Fairbank has recently been categorised as "unhealthy for sensitive groups".

Rob Lovell comments that a pattern has emerged over the last year. The North Pole's 24-hour average exceeded the EPA's guidelines 30 times during winter, and Fairbank's 24-hour average exceeding the limit twice this year already.

Since the readings on January 5, air quality in the North Pole has improved slightly, dropping from “unhealthy” to “moderate” as of January 10.

Understanding the air quality index

Measuring pollutant concentrations in the air, the air quality index determines the general health of the air that we breathe and indicates any risks to human health. Ranging from low concentrations of pollution where no risk is posed to human health, to moderate risks which may affect sensitive individuals (such as those with lung or heart conditions), right up to high risk which advises sensitive individuals against strenuous physical activity.

Daily air quality monitoring will usually oversee the amount of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, as well as PM2.5 and PM10 particles which can be extremely damaging to human health.

For more information on air quality and the impact of fossil fuel consumption, read: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Close to a Coal-Fired Power Plant and a Cement Factory.