South Bay Kids Get A Refresher On Air Pollution

LOS GATOS (KCBS) - Have you ever wondered how California air officials determine "Spare the Air" days? Students in Los Gatos discovered the answer as they helped test greenhouse gas emissions at their school.

Shannon Ross and her classmates at Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos learned to use an ozone analyzer, which is the same machine the California Air Resources Board uses to determine spare the air days.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

"We have two canisters that are collecting air, one is for hydrocarbons, and the other is for gas that comes out of the tailpipe," said Ross.

They first tested the air around their school last week, and again during bike-to-school week.

If there's a drop in green house gas emissions, Wendy Buller with Benchmark Environmental said it will be up to students to find it.

"We're not going to create that for them, they have to look at the data and decide whether there was a sizeable difference," said Buller.

The device is part of a science grant awarded to the school.

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