Lung association says air quality is lacking
The American Lung Association has released a new report that says the Baltimore-Washington region doesn’t have the cleanest air in the nation, but made some improvements since last year.
It still may be bad enough to harm those with asthma and other conditions, as well as young and older people.
The State of the Air 2010 report finds that a decade’s worth of clean-up efforts, which include emissions reductions at coal-fired plants and a transition to cleaner diesel fuels, have made the nation’s air better in general. That helped this area reduce its levels of smog and soot.
The report says, however, that more than half the U.S. population suffers pollution levels that are often dangerous. Some cities, mostly in California, had dirtier air than in last year’s report.
“State of the Air 2010 proves with hard data that cleaning up air pollution produces healthier air,” said Mary H. Partridge, the American Lung Association’s national board chair, in a statement. “However, more needs to be done. We are working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on additional measures that will require even greater clean up of power plants. We are also calling for additional funding to install equipment to clean up the 20 million dirty diesel vehicles currently on the road polluting U.S. cities every day.”
The Baltimore-Washington area had the 16th worst air by ozone, or smog. And it had the 18th worst by short-term particle pollution, or soot. Air pollution data was collected in 2006-2008 around the nation.
Those with heart or lung disease, children and older adults are most likely to be affected by the particle pollution, according to the lung association. Some will develop irritated airways, coughing and difficulty breathing, and some may suffer heart attacks or even premature death. The smog irritate lungs and causes problems such as wheezing, coughing and asthma.
The Phoenix metropolitan was No. 1 for cities most-polluted by year-round particle levels. Bakersfield, Calif., had the most days of unhealthy short-term particle pollution. Los Angeles was the worst city for smog.
The Baltimore-Washington area had improvements in short-term level of particle pollution and smog, according to the report.
The lung association is urging the federal government to consider tighter limits on outdoor air pollution from coal plants and cars as part of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 2010.
Photo of Constellation Energy plant that has recently installed scrubbers/Kenneth K. Lam
Comments
two years ago my husband and I moved to Sacramento, Ca. We both had "mild" allergies, prior to moving here, but were generally healthy & fit. Since we moved to Sacramento I have respiratory issues that force me to stay in the house 24/7 with whole house filter AND HEPA filters in every room in an effort to avoid the pollen, and particulate pollution from 3 freeways surrounding our neighborhood and the delta breeze that brings the pollution from the bay area into the valley, neighborhood fireplaces burning wood in the winter & summer ozone. Some days, like today, the filters don't do much good either. It seems like the particulate & pollen combined is too much for the system to handle. Kind of an irony. I wonder if without the particulate, I could handle the pollen particulates. My allergist says I don't have allergies....so I have to assume it's just the overwhelming volume of particles & pollution that are keeping me "in captivitiy". I'm on "lock down" 10 out of 12 months of the year having to stay indoors. I cannot have a normal daily life without becoming sick. It causes asthmatic symptoms, wheezing, respiratory infections, burning in my bronchial tubes, shortness of breath and so far twice a year, every year for the last 3, bronchitis. I have never had any of this before living here. I have a treadmill in the house so that I can get exercise, since doing it outdoors isn't an option. I have no doubt that for others who are less healthy, living here is life threatening. As each year passes the symptoms get worse and require more and more medication, which also has adverse affects on the body. It is incredible that we can't bring ourselves to make some big changes to what we are doing to ourselves and our children in our unwillingness to "clean up our act" in environment. For example, we are willing to ban smoking in the work and pulblic places, but we allow the whole country to put "passive smoke" from burning wood in fireplaces into the air and it's affects are just as bad as cigarette smoke. My neighbors burn in their fireplaces...I can't step outside my front door without having a respiratory episode as a consequence of their smoke. Some days the smoke penetrates my home and sets off an episode, and I get to pay the price of my health for some else's "aesthetic" desire of having a wood burning fireplace. My life, liberty and pursuit of happiness is being curtailed by theirs. How about a gas fire insert....I love the aesthetic of flames too...but not at the price of my health. One weekend we went to the beach to take a break and escape the pollen and pollution. The minute I stepped out of the car in the parking lot at the beach I was overwhelmed by the smell of a bonfire burning wood on the beach....I could not see the smoke, but I could smell it the moment I opened the door and the reaction was instant and set off another asthmatic episode. This particulate is as hideous as cigarette smoke....and I suspect as lethal over time. I wonder if any of these folks consider that they are putting these toxins into their loved ones as well? They wouldn't dream of smoking around their children....but they would burn a fire....what's up with that?
Some may say I'm hyper-sensitive....my husband says he's thankful for my sensitivities because I'm making him aware of what he too is breathing in, but his body isn't telling him about it so that he can do something about it. Mine is. He says that just because he doesn't have symptoms doesn't mean the toxins aren't having an impact on his body and contributing to health issues that will eventually emerge over time if he continues to be exposed to them. I think he's right....it makes sense.
I wonder when we will wake up and "smell the roses" even if it is through the sensitivity of others who are very sensitive to what is going on. They are the barometers. Just because it can't be seen or felt, doesn't mean it isn't there. 50 percent of people living in pollution is unthinkable, but that is what we are doing to ourselves, and it seems sad that we won't do anything until it becomes a crisis.
We are told in corporate that we prefer to employ people who are "pro-active go getters" who can foresee and prevent problems from occurring in the corporate work place to maximize monetary profits. I wonder when will we take that same attitude to the management of our environment and our health to maximize the profits of health, and "existence" that arise from quality of life and a clean environment. If we continue to ignore these profits, eventually we won't have to worry about the corporate ones. Our short sightedness will be the death of us.
The earth can and will exist without us.......but without the earth's environment, we can't exist. Something I think about every day while I'm "on lock down."
Posted by: katm | April 29, 2010 3:00 PM