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Positive pollution?


Phoenix's high levels of carbon dioxide do more good than bad for the city, an ASU researcher found after conducting a $500,000 research program funded by the National Science Foundation.

The carbon dioxide count in Phoenix has reached levels not expected for 50 years. This gave ASU climatologist Robert Balling and his team the opportunity to see how the world will be affected by carbon dioxide in the future.

"High carbon dioxide levels will have little to no impact on humans. Many people confuse carbon monoxide with carbon dioxide," said Balling. Carbon monoxide is poisonous and a harmful part of air pollution.

Even though humans may not be affected by carbon dioxide, it does have positive effects on plant life.

"There will be an impact on vegetation. Plants will grow taller, faster and be more tolerant to drought," Balling said.

Balling's study discovered the sources, locations and effects of carbon dioxide on urban living. "Lots of these things haven't been analyzed before."

A team of ASU researchers took samples of air throughout the city over the past two years. Cars, freeways, power plants and landfills are the main sources and locations of the extremely high amounts of the gas.

Since Phoenix does not have an abundance of vegetation, the Valley's plants only use a limited amount of the carbon dioxide available. The rest settles over the city because Phoenix rarely experiences windy days to cause the carbon dioxide to disperse.

Joe Fernando, the director of ASU's Environmental Fluid Dynamics program in the College of Engineering, made a model to see how things such as wind affect the concentration levels.

"I was able to generate a dome-type structure by using a computer model to simulate the carbon dioxide distribution throughout the city," said Fernando.

Balling noted that increased levels of carbon dioxide suggest high levels of other gases and air pollution as well. "Carbon dioxide is not a problem," Balling said. "Of course, an increase in CO2 means an increase in bad stuff, too."

Reach the reporter at emily.murphy@asu.edu.


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