A new study from the University of Wisconsin shows that getting rid of air pollution could save 53,200 lives each year, and the benefits of less illness and fewer deaths are valued at $608 billion.
In addition to preventing deaths, clean air would also prevent 3,000-25,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 6500 hospital admissions for other kinds of heart conditions, 6500 hospital admissions for lung or breathing conditions (asthma, chronic lung disease, etc.), 15,000 emergency room visits for asthma, and almost 760,000 asthma attacks in children age 6-18. It would also prevent 1.2 million illnesses of the upper or lower respiratory tract in school age children and almost 40,000 acute bronchitis episodes in children age 8-12. It would prevent almost 4 million missed work days and 22 million restricted activity days. (The study did not look at missed school days). Remember that all of these health benefits are for each year.
Because of the environmental racism inherent in where our country decided to build highways and roads, power plants, refineries, and industrial facilities, it is certain that more of the illnesses and deaths occur in communities of color. Many studies document that air pollution exposure is unjust and inequitable, for many sources of air pollution: power plants, industrial facilities, and transportation. Clean energy and clean transportation are just the beginning of the work we need to do to address environmental racism and to decrease the health problems caused by the built environment.
The researchers were also able to evaluate where the air pollution is produced, and where the deaths caused by that air pollution occur. It turns out that the Southeast region (EPA region 4) is 2nd highest in the country in total deaths caused by the air pollution created in the Southeast (within our region and in other regions), and 2nd highest in numbers of deaths from air pollution no matter where it is made. They also found that 78% of the benefits from eliminating air pollution made in the Southeast region would be for people who live in the Southeast region.
The cost benefits include savings from direct health care costs, and from valuation of prevented deaths. The researchers looked at air pollution from electricity generation, industrial fuel use, residential/commercial fuel use, on-road vehicles, non-road vehicles (trains, construction equipment, etc.) and oil and gas production and refining.
This study clearly shows that #HealthAirIsHealthCare. Cleaning up the air saves lives, prevents illness, and provides huge cost benefits.
Read a news article in Stars and Stripes about the study here.
Read the scientific study in GeoHealth here.
05/17/2022
