Thousands of air purifiers delivered to South Bay, but residents and officials push for concrete solutions

A regional air quality agency has delivered approximately 7,700 air purifiers to South Bay residents affected by Tijuana River pollution, but challenges and questions about the program’s adequacy have emerged as calls grow for more permanent solutions.

The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District oversees the program, known as the Air Improvement Relief Effort Program (AIRE), through a memorandum of agreement with the county. The program provides specialized air purifiers capable of filtering hydrogen sulfide and other pollutants from the toxic cross-border flows.

County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre said the machines require two distinct filter types: carbon filters that remove hydrogen sulfide and other gases, and potassium permanganate filters that clear out pathogens.

“The community continues to be severely impacted by all of this pollution from the non stop flows in the Tijuana River,” Aguirre said. “I want people to be able to breathe and not get sick chronically and constantly. That’s it.”

The program distributes the purifiers within a specified area comprised of three zip codes within the Imperial Beach, Nestor and San Ysidro areas: 91932, 92154 and 92173.

AIRE has he...