The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has put Fairbanks in its “serious” category for persistently violating Clean Air Act standards for PM2.5 levels and has threatened sanctions. The community for years has tried a variety of methods to improve air quality in the portion of the Fairbanks North Star Borough failing to meet air quality standards.

Moon’s research found that sulfate — primary and secondary — is also the second-largest contributor of PM2.5 in Fairbanks, accounting for 15% to 33% of the total, the research paper states. It is second only to wood smoke from space heating. Read more about the study on UAF news.