Pittsburgh summit explores health effects of air pollution

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

Travelers flying into Pittsburgh can see the dirty brown blanket that is the region’s air quality problem, even if those who live under it cannot.

That’s part of the problem and a big reason air pollution continues to impact human health in the region, according to Joel Schwartz, an environmental epidemiology professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Although the region’s air is cleaner than it has been in a century, it should be much better than it is, said Mr. Schwartz, the keynote speaker today at a regional summit on air quality and health. The summit, at Marriott Pittsburgh City Center, Downtown, begins at 8 a.m. and is free to the public.

“People living here may not be able to see it, but if you’re coming into the region from outside of it you can certainly see this hazy stuff sitting on top of the city and region,” Mr. Schwartz said. “You can see it from a plane. You can see it from a satellite. You can see the particle haze from space.

“It’s too easy for a community that had horrific air pollution to say it’s cleaner. Small particle pollution is 50 percent higher in Pittsburgh than in Boston. Why should people in Pittsburgh put up with that? It’s perfectly possible to get down to those lower pollution levels because lots of places have.”

The daylong summit, sponsored by Allegheny General Hospital and the Heinz Endowments Breathe Project, will include presentations and reviews of studies detailing the regional health effects caused by the region’s air pollution over the past 40 years, including its impacts on birth outcomes, cancer, cardiopulmonary illnesses and premature deaths.

continue readinga Pittsburgh summit explores health effects of air pollution – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Air quality in smaller towns is worse than in our cities

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

AIR quality in smaller towns is worse than in our major cities because of the burning of coal.

And new research commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency EPA shows that the air in Letterkenny, Co Donegal is not meeting minimum legal limits, putting thousands of people at risk of respiratory disease.

The interim results, obtained by the Irish Independent, also show that Tralee in Kerry is barely meeting the EU limits, and that there are major health concerns about air quality caused by burning coal with a high sulphur content.

The study comes as the Government today announces that it has commissioned an all-island air quality study in association with the Northern Ireland assembly, with a view to introducing a ban on smoky coal in all 32 counties.

The Irish Independent recently revealed that Environment Minister Phil Hogan wants to ban smoky coal to help reduce the incidence of asthma and other respiratory diseases across the population.

Mr Hogan said that EU standards only provided a “minimum level” of protection, but any move to ban smoky coal across the State will be politically difficult, as cleaner forms of fuel are more expensive.

The minister said a ban, already in place in Dublin since 1990 and now applying to all cities and towns with populations over 15,000 people, had clear benefits.

“The ban has clearly been effective in reducing air pollution with proven benefits for human health and our environment,” he said. “I am convinced of the health benefits from a national ban and these benefits should be extended to all citizens through a nationwide smoky coal ban.”

Some 470,000 people have asthma here, one of the highest rates worldwide, and the ban is planned to be introduced within three years.

People with respiratory conditions like asthma can be badly affected by harmful air particles that result from pollutants, including the burning of coal.

The move has been welcomed by the Asthma Society of Ireland, which said 85pc of people favoured a ban if it would improve air quality.

via Air quality in smaller towns is worse than in our cities – Independent.ie.

Posted in Air Quality, Europe | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Air quality alert issued for SLO County as wildfires burn around California

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

Large wildfires burning north and south of San Luis Obispo County have prompted county officials to issue an air quality alert.

“Due to changing winds and weather conditions, it is difficult to predict which areas of the county may be most affected by smoke from the fire,” said Aeron Arlin-Genet, spokeswoman for the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District.

County officials urge that people who smell smoke take precautions to reduce the harmful health effects by limiting outdoor activities. These precautions are especially important for children, the elderly and people with respiratory and heart conditions.

“When you can see or smell the smoke in your surroundings, officials recommend you avoid strenuous outdoor activity and remain indoors as much as possible,” Arlin-Genet said.

The air district will continue to monitor smoke impacts and air quality in San Luis Obispo County. The air quality index focuses on health effects individuals may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.

The AQI is available to the public via the APCD website, http://www.slocleanair.org, as well as by e-mail, pager messages and text messages. Sign up to receive the daily air quality forecast via email, page or text message by subscribing online at http://www.enviroflash.info.

via Air quality alert issued for SLO County as wildfires burn around California | Environment | SanLuisObispo.com.

Map: Southern California fires

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Air pollution affects my life on a day-to-day basis

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

Rosalind Dalton has lived in the Royal Borough of Greenwich for 25 years, close to the A102 pictured. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. This is a condition often associated with smoking, but neither Rosalind nor anyone in her household has ever smoked. When diagnosed at the age of 47, she was told that she had the lung capacity of a 71 year old. “We have no choice but to live in London, because of work. In general I enjoy living here, but I am concerned about the impact of air pollution on my health and find it stressful when levels are high.”

The doctor has recently said the first diagnosis was incorrect and in fact she is suffering from asthma, but either way, air pollution affects Rosalind’s life on a day to day basis. During a recent period of bad air quality she began to walk to the local shops but had to turn back, because her symptoms were so bad she didn’t feel she could make the journey. Her son has had some issues with shortness of breath and a persistent cough and has been prescribed an inhaler. “I want to see my children grow to adulthood and not worry about my life being shortened by the impact of air pollution on my condition” she says.

The whole family is aware of the problem of air pollution and do whatever they can to keep their contribution to the absolute minimum. Rosalind’s husband commutes to Lambeth by bike and her two children walk to school. They do not own a car, but are members of a car club for when they need to make long journeys. But it can’t all be left down to the individual, and she thinks far more needs to be done by government. “It’s a bit short-sighted if government say they can’t afford it – what about the cost of all the related illness and premature death?”

She also thinks that more needs to be done to make people suffering from conditions like COPD and asthma aware of the impacts of air pollution. Despite having been diagnosed two years ago, she has not once been advised by a doctor to be aware of air quality, for example, they have not advised her to register for air text, or take steps to reduce her exposure. When Rosalind was given the recent rediagnosis she asked the doctor about it, who did confirm her condition may well have been caused by poor air quality. “I wish I’d known earlier about these links. It at least makes it slightly easier now that I understand that on a very polluted day I might have to make allowances in how I plan my day.”

via Air pollution affects my life on a day-to-day basis | HealthyAir.

Posted in Air Quality, Health Effects of Air Pollution, London, UK | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Air quality advisory issued due to fire, dust

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

Air quality will be compromised today in Ventura County as a result of the Camarillo Springs fire and dust kicked up by Santa Ana winds.

The county Air Pollution Control District issued an advisory this morning urging all residents in areas with blowing dust, smoke and ash to use caution and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.

Meteorologist Kent Field said residents in those areas should avoid vigorous outdoor or indoor exertion and that children, elderly individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease should stay indoors. Smoke and ash from the fire is considered unhealthy in and downwind of the fire.

Field said he sent the advisory to schools and care facilities for children and the elderly.

“This is just a caution even for healthy people,” said the manager of the district’s air monitoring division. “If you smell smoke you probably need to curtail your activity and do something else.”

Air quality will range from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups, depending on location, he said.

Field said areas susceptible to poor air quality include territory from Camarillo to the eastern edge of Ventura, the Santa Clara River Valley, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks.

Field said he doesn’t expect improvement in air quality Friday.

via Air quality advisory issued due to fire, dust » Ventura County Star.

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

UK government failing legal duty on air pollution, supreme court rules

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

The UK government has failed in its legal duty to protect people from the harmful effects of air pollution, the supreme court ruled on Wednesday.

The ruling by five judges – the first time a UK court has recognised that the government has failed in efforts to meet European air pollution limits – delighted air pollution campaigners.

It means the government faces stiff European fines and British cities may have to ban cars and limit the entry of heavy good vehicles to dramatically reduce air pollution.

But because the court also ruled that the European court of justice will have to step in to clarify some legal issues, the government may be able to delay acting for up to a year.

“This landmark decision … paves the way for the European commission to take legal action against the UK,” said James Thornton, ClientEarth chief executive. “The ruling marks a turning point in the fight for clean air and will pile the pressure on the environment secretary, Owen Paterson. He must now come up with an ambitious plan to protect people from carcinogenic diesel fumes. Until now, his only policy has been lobbying in Europe to try and weaken air pollution laws.”

The group’s case concerned 16 cities and regions, including London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, which government plans show will suffer from illegal levels of NO2, nitrogen dioxide – until as late as 2020 or 2025.

The supreme court confirmed that because the government is in breach of the EU air quality directive, “the way is open to immediate enforcement action at national or European level”. However, before deciding whether to take further action to enforce the law, it has referred a number of legal questions to the court of justice of the European Union.

The way is now open for the European commission to take infringement action against Britain without waiting for any ruling by the European court of justice. This could theoretically lead to heavy fines.

continue reading UK government failing legal duty on air pollution, supreme court rules | Environment | guardian.co.uk.

Posted in Air Quality, Europe, London, UK | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Think air quality doesn’t matter? Look at Pittsburgh in the 1940s

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

These days when we think of eye-watering, lung-blackening smog, it’s usually Chinese cities that come to mind. Air quality was so bad there that during the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008, a significant fraction of the country’s power generation, industrial production, and transport sector was shut down to allow athletes to breathe half-decent air and perform well.

continue reading Think air quality doesn’t matter? Look at Pittsburgh in the 1940s | MNN – Mother Nature Network.

Posted in Air Quality, USA & Canada | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Chronic asthma may be caused by traffic pollution

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Respro® UK Ltd

Fourteen percent of chronic childhood asthma could be due to exposure to traffic pollution, a study of 10 European cities has found.

The new study suggests that air quality can trigger the breathing disorder as much as being around someone else who is smoking, which the World Health Organization has linked to 4 to 18 percent of asthma cases.

Asthma sufferers often flag pollution as a trigger for their symptoms. A recent survey from Asthma UK found that 66 percent of sufferers said that traffic pollution makes their asthma worse, WebMD reported. Twenty-nine percent of responders said that reducing air pollution was the top factor that would make their lives better, and 85 percent said they were worried about car pollution’s effect on their and their family’s health.

“Air pollution has previously been seen to trigger symptoms but this is the first time we have estimated the percentage of cases that might not have occurred if Europeans had not been exposed to road traffic pollution,” lead author Dr. Laura Perez, at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, said in a press release. “In light of all the existing epidemiological studies showing that road-traffic contributes to the onset of the disease in children, we must consider these results to improve policy making and urban planning.”

Researchers looked at population-attributable factors to see how near-road traffic pollution affected patients. The calculation showed how changing pollution levels might lower disease levels or reduce risk for death.They discovered that when children were near high levels of near-road traffic pollution they had much higher rates of asthma, even when other factors like passive or secondhand smoking or socioeconomic factors were accounted for.

They estimated that 33,200 cases — or 14 percent — of chronic asthma suffers in those 10 cities were exposed to roads with high vehicle traffic, causing their asthma, and 15 percent of all asthma sufferer’s episodes were due to near-road traffic conditions if a causal relationship was assumed.

via Chronic asthma may be caused by traffic pollution – CBS News.

Posted in Air Quality, Allergies, Asthma | Tagged , , | Leave a comment