“As an organization of health care providers and researchers, we know firsthand the toll air pollution takes on people’s health, particularly the young and elderly”, said ATS President David Gozal, Herbert T. Abelson professor of Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. That’s followed by Pennsylvania (728 deaths), Texas (604), OH (578), Arizona (357), NY (317) and MI (275). The Environmental Protection Agency seemed to be listening past year when it tightened national ozone standards – a little. The ATS recommends an annual standard for particle pollution of 11 micrograms per cubic meter, while the EPA standard is 12 micrograms. “In an urban area, the air is generally much better on Sunday morning than when people are going to work during the weekdays”.
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“And often, we see the highest health burden in low-income populations and minority populations, or susceptible populations, such as older adults, children with asthma, and infants”, said Cromar. “Many people die each year because of poor air quality, so if you improve the air quality, there will be health benefits”.
The number of air pollution-related deaths are comparable to the 9,967 alcohol-related traffic deaths that occurred in the U.S.in 2014.
CT joined with other states in the northeast in 2013 asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce tougher air pollution standards in nine states to the west and south that have power plants that are sending massive amounts of air pollution in Connecticut’s direction.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, Diamond Bar, California, will engage California communities on the use, accuracy, and application of “low-cost” air monitoring sensors in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles.
Researchers found that 9,320 lives might be saved annually by reducing of two types of air pollution – ozone and fine particulate matter – to levels below what the Environmental Protection Agency now requires.
The situation isn’t as dire in Orange County, but the county is hardly immune: The study found that the Santa Ana-Irvine area incurred 64 estimated deaths a year because of air pollution.
“In a crowded city, many people end up living next to landfills, major highways or industrial areas”, said Wendy Griswold, the project’s principal investigator and Kansas State University’s Center for Hazardous Substance Research project manager.
Kevin Cromar, lead author and Marron Institute professor, said his team used the ATS recommendations for ozone and particle pollution as the baseline. Inflammation from air pollution also can trigger heart attacks, Baydur said. Cromar says. “If they would like improvement in air quality, that should be reason enough to try to make progress on the issue”.
These standards would have further benefits, according to the American Thoracic Society.
The report estimated air-pollution-related deaths for MA at 114 a year; Rhode Island’s death rate was put at 30 per year; New Hampshire’s rate was 15 deaths annually; while 11 people die from air-pollution-related causes each year in Maine.
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Even marginally cleaner air would improve the population’s health.
