Made in China, Polluting American Air

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Smog produced in China is reaching skies of the United States, according to new findings from the University of California, Irvine.

The first effort of its kind to quantify how much air pollution is drifting across the Pacific Ocean and affecting the atmosphere over America, the study was published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researchers generally believe the pollution in question was created through the manufacturing of goods, such as televisions, cellphones and myriad other devices and appliances, for export to the West.

All the contaminants tracked by the research are the main components of poisonous smog and soot.

"We've outsourced our manufacturing and much of our pollution, but some of it is blowing back across the Pacific to haunt us," said study co-author Steve Davis, UC Irvine Earth system scientist. "Given the complaints about how Chinese pollution is corrupting other countries' air, this paper shows that there may be plenty of blame to go around."

The new research asserts smog in Los Angeles exceeds federal ozone limits at least one extra day because nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide spewed by Chinese factories.

The analysis also found that other times, as much as a quarter of the sulfate pollution in the U.S. West Coast environment can be linked to Chinese manufacturing.

The paper noted factories in China are not responsible for the a majority of the air pollution in the U.S., which is created by the States' own factories, as well as cars, trucks and refineries.

But it's been found global winds known as "westerlies" are strong enough to push airborne chemicals across the ocean in a matter of days, causing significant spikes in contaminants up and down the West Coast.

Dust, ozone and carbon from China can accumulate in valleys and basins of California and other Western states.

China's expansion of industrial activity in recent years has prompted often debates across the globe, especially since the country has relatively poor pollution controls.

The study authors suggest the new data could be used to more effectively negotiate clean-air treaties.

"When you buy a product at Wal-Mart," Davis said, "it has to be manufactured somewhere. The product doesn't contain the pollution, but creating it caused the pollution."