The Daily Reflector
By Michael Abramowitz
Sunday, May 3, 2015
“Air quality improving in Pitt County”
The quality of the air in the Greenville metropolitan area ranks among the best in the United States in one category but has room for improvement in another, according to the latest report released last week by the American Lung Association.
The Greenville metro area — Pitt and Beaufort counties, in this case — scored an “A” for particle pollution measured during a 24-hour period. It also received passing grades for weighted averages of annual particle pollution levels. Those grades are pass-fail only.
Pitt County received an overall “C” grade (moderate concern) for ground-level amounts of ozone during the past year, including three days when air quality was in the orange zone and unhealthy for sensitive populations and one day when it was in the red zone, indicating it was unhealthy for everyone.
The 2015 State of the Air report was derived from information gathered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ALA representative Janice Nolan said.
The American Lung Association’s annual report reviews monitored data on the two most common and harmful types of air pollution — ozone and particle pollution — and compiles a report card telling how much of each type of pollution is in the air where people live and breathe.
Particle pollution is a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles that are in the air. The Greenville metro area shares the distinction of being the best in 96 cities in the United States.
Lenoir, New Hanover and Wake counties received “B” scores for particle pollution, officials said.
“We did not identify any ‘unhealthy’ days of particle pollution in your area, making you one of our nation’s cleanest cities,” Nolan said.
Monitors registered particle pollution during a 24-hour period and for annual average levels, she said.
Ozone develops in the atmosphere from gases that come out of tailpipes, smokestacks and many other sources. When chemicals in the gases come in contact with sunlight, they react and form ozone smog. Pollutants that contribute to ozone accumulation in a monitored area can drift in from great distances and not necessarily from local sources alone, Nolan said.
“That compares very well with the 25 unhealthy days Greenville had in the 2000 report, which resulted in an ‘F’ grade,” Nolan said. “A lot of that improvement has to do with reductions in emissions created by coal-powered power plants and automobiles. Efforts during the last decade to clean up trucks and SUVs also has had a positive impact on our air quality.”
Wake, Forsyth and Mecklenburg counties received an “F” score for ozone pollution, and Carteret received an “A.”
During days when air quality is at the orange level, children, active adults and people with respiratory disease such as asthma should limit prolonged outdoor exertion, ALA experts said. While in the red zone, everyone should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
Dangerous levels of air pollution can harm everyone, even healthy adults, ALA experts said. However, those at greatest risk include infants, children, older adults, anyone with lung disease like asthma and COPD, people with heart disease or diabetes, people with low incomes and anyone who works or exercises outdoors.
High levels of pollution can cause heart attacks and strokes, and the World Health Organization recently concluded that particle pollution can cause lung cancer, Nolan said.
“Individuals can contribute to improving air quality in their living area by driving less and cutting electrical consumption, particularly on hot days when ozone is more likely to be created,” said Susan Berryman-Rodriguez of Mothers and Others for Clean Air, an American Lung Association program that partners with medical and educational institutions and professionals to advance policies to improve air quality.
“Anything that reduces the use our dependence on fossil fuels will contribute to improvement, including support for policies that promote solar and wind energy,” Berryman-Rodriguez said.
This summer the EPA will submit to the state Legislature the finalized version of its clean power plan this summer, another project endorsed by Mothers and Others for Clean Air. For a detailed look at the American Lung Association’s 2015 State of the Air report visit http://www.stateoftheair.org.
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