Fairfield County Flunks Annual Air Pollution Test

People in Fairfield County, noticeably in Bridgeport, continue to breathe dangerous levels of air pollution, despite positive nationwide trends toward cleaner air, according to the American Lung Association’s annual report on air quality, “State of the Air 2011,” which was released on April 27. Fairfield County ranked 25th of the 25 reported most ozone polluted counties in nation. Bridgeport, as part of the northeast New York-Newark metropolitan areas, ranked 17th in a list of 25 most ozone polluted cities. In addition, this same metro area ranked 21st of the 25, exposing millions of the most vulnerable (elderly, people with asthma and other lung diseases) to particle pollution year-round.

 According to the report, all metro areas in the list of the 25 cities most polluted by ozone showed improvement over the previous report, and 15 of those cities experienced the lowest levels yet. All but two of the 25 cities most polluted with year-round particle pollution improved over last year’s report. However, only 11 cities among those most polluted by short-term spikes in particle pollution experienced improvement.

 The air quality report also reveals that just over half the nation — 154.5 million people — live in areas where levels of ozone and/or particle pollution are too often dangerous to breathe.

“Even though so many people live where bad air can make them sick, some members of Congress are proposing changes to the Clean Air Act that would interfere with efforts to reduce air pollution and protect public health,” said Karen Conway, Esquire, and chair of the American Lung Association Leadership Board in Connecticut. “Dangerous levels of smog and particle pollution continue to threaten our community. When we look at results across the country, we see that the Clean Air Act works, and we need to keep it strong.”

The American Lung Association released a bipartisan poll in February that showed Americans overwhelmingly support efforts for even tougher air quality standards and oppose Congressional action that interferes with the EPA’s ability to update clean air standards. The Clean Air Act saved more than 160,000 lives in 2010, according to EPA’s recent analysis.

The “State of the Air 2011” report grades cities and counties based, in part, on the color-coded Air Quality Index developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help alert the public to daily unhealthy air conditions. The 12th annual release of the Lung Association’s report uses the most recent EPA data collected from 2007 through 2009 from official monitors for ozone and particle pollution, the two most widespread types of air pollution. Counties are graded for ozone, year-round particle pollution, and short-term particle pollution levels. The report also uses EPA’s calculations for year-round particle levels.

 In Connecticut, all five counties for which data on particle pollution were available received grades of C or below in the 24-hour particle pollution category, each having a large number of high particle pollution days. Four of the five counties did improve from the 2010 report, but New London County went from a C to a D.

The pollution problem showed up most disturbingly in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, which failed for annual particle pollution and received an F for short-term particle pollution levels. Particle levels can spike dangerously for hours to weeks on end (short-term) or remain at unhealthy levels on average every day (year-round).

“Particle pollution kills,” said David Hill, MD, a pulmonologist and American Lung Association Leadership Board member in Connecticut. “When you breathe these microscopic particles, you are inhaling a noxious mix of chemicals, metals, acid aerosols, ash, soot, and others from diesel exhaust and other sources. It is as toxic as it sounds and can lead to early death, asthma exacerbations, heart attacks, strokes, and emergency room visits in substantial numbers. Science clearly has proven that we need to protect the health of the public from the dangers of particle pollution.”

All seven counties in Connecticut had an unacceptable number of high ozone days and received F grades in that category. Most counties did show improvements from last year’s report, but more work is necessary to improve air quality. Ozone is the most widespread air pollutant, created by the reaction of sunlight on emissions from vehicles and other sources. When ozone is inhaled, it irritates the lungs. It can cause immediate health problems and continue days later. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks ,and even premature death.

The American Lung Association in Connecticut urges the public to voice support for the EPA to continue to protect the air in every community by visiting www.LungAction.org and to learn how their communities rank in “State of the Air 2011” by visiting wwwStateOfTheAir.org. For the first time, visitors to the website can also compare the findings for different metropolitan areas online.