General Air Quality Information
Clean Air Act
- Required to set standards for common and widely spread air pollutants.
- EPA set air quality standards for six common pollutants: particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and lead.
- State plans must control emissions that drift across state lines and harm air quality in downwind states.
- New stationary sources (power plants and factories) are required to use the newest technology to reduce pollution.
- Recently established that they will get rid of chemicals that are destroying the ozone layer.
Air Pollutants
- Carbon Monoxide
- Combines with hemoglobin in the blood to form Carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO)
- Prevents release of oxygen from blood to tissues
- Leads to hypoxia (oxygen deficiency in tissues)
- Hydrocarbons
- Pulmonary Complications
- Nervous System
- hypoxia
- Cardiovascular system
- cardiotoxicity
- tachydysrhythmias; can lead to syncope or sudden death
- Gastrointestinal system
- GI mucosa & vomiting
- Ozone
- Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion.
- It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma.
- Ground level ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs.
- Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue
- Particulates
- Particle pollution - especially fine particles - contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems.
- Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including:
- premature death in people with heart or lung disease
- nonfatal heart attacks
- irregular heartbeat
- aggravated asthma
- decreased lung function
- increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing.
- Sulfur Dioxide
- Current scientific evidence links short-term exposures to SO2, ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours, with an array of adverse respiratory effects including bronchoconstriction and increased asthma symptoms.
- These effects are particularly important for asthmatics at elevated ventilation rates (e.g., while exercising or playing.)
- Studies also show a connection between short-term exposure and increased visits to emergency departments and hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses
- Particularly in at-risk populations including children, the elderly, and asthmatics.
Pittsburgh Air Quality
How Pittsburgh Ranks:
Average Pollutants in the air:
Contributions to Poor Air Quality
- 24th for high ozone levels
- 8th for year round particle pollution
- 7th for short-term particle pollution
Average Pollutants in the air:
- 35% ozone
- 50% particulate matter
- 13.3% sulfur dioxide
- 3.3% nitrogen dioxide
- 0% carbon monoxide (which is good!)
Contributions to Poor Air Quality
- Pittsburgh's main problem with air quality is the pollutants that have been in the air for decades now. In the early 1900s, Pittsburgh was a production icon, but all of the factories caused the air to fill with smog. Currently, Pittsburgh is not producing too much pollution per year, but it is only adding to the pollution that has been there for years.
Pittsburgh's "Air Quality Report Card", provided by the American Lung Association