- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Using Music and Sports to Improve Kids' Asthma
- Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Tai Chi: An Ideal Exercise for Many People with Diabetes
- Awareness of Alternative Therapies May Be Lacking
- Naprapathy: A Hands-On Approach to Pain Management
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- BONES & JOINTS
- Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
- Almost Half of Adults Will Develop Knee Osteoarthritis by 85
- Most Kids With Type 1 Diabetes Lack Vitamin D
- CANCER
- Vitamin D Good for Breast Cancer Patients
- Want to Stop Cancer? You Can, Experts Say
- U.S. Reported 25,000 Cases of HPV-Related Cancers Annually
- CAREGIVING
- Late-Life Fatherhood May Lower Child's Intelligence
- Child's Food Allergies Take Toll on Family Plans
- Mom's Smoking May Lead to SIDS
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
- Exercise Extends Life of Kidney Patients
- Bye, Bye Back Fat?
- COSMETIC
- With Psoriasis, the Internet May Offer Hope
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Periodontal Disease Impacts Whole Health
- Sports Drinks May Be Tough on Teeth
- Laser Technology Spots Cavities Before They Start
- DIABETES
- Coffee, Tea Might Stave Off Diabetes
- Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
- 'Standard' Glucose Test May Be Wrong One for Obese Children
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Adding Garlic Might Cut Cancer Risk
- Uncover Why Turmeric Helps You Heal
- Decline of Underweight Children in U.S. Continue to Fall
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Vest Monitors 'Individual' Air Pollution
- Green Areas Lower Health Inequities Between Rich, Poor
- Former Inmates at Increased Risk for High Blood Pressure
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Don't Lose Sight of Halloween Safety
- Unconscious Learning: In the Eye of the Beholder?
- Antioxidant-Rich Diet May Protect Against Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Yoga Can Ease Lower Back Pain
- Fall Cleanup Is a Prime Time for Accidents
- The Juice From Beetroots May Boost Stamina
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- New Guidelines Issued for Management of IBS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- GENERAL HEALTH
- U.S. Prepares for Possible Return of Swine Flu in Fall
- Sun, Smoke, Extra Weight Add Years to Skin
- Simple Holistic Approach to Fight the Common Cold
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- Fructose Boosts Blood Pressure, Studies Find
- Shedding Light on Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help the Heart
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- KID'S HEALTH
- Mom's Extra Pregnancy Pounds May Raise Child's Heart Risks
- Too Many Infants Short on Vitamin D
- 3 Home Habits Help Youngsters Stay Slim
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- Sunlight May Help Protect Men From Kidney Cancer
- MENTAL HEALTH
- A Simple 'Thank You' Brings Rewards to All
- The 3LS Wellness Program for Reversing Chronic Symptoms and Creating Lasting Health
- The Unmedicated Mind
- PAIN
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- PREGNANCY
- Sugary Colas Tied to Gestational Diabetes
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Yoga's Benefits Outweigh Risks for Pregnant Women
- SENIORS
- Seniors Who Volunteer May Live Longer
- 15-Point Test Gauges Alzheimer's Risk
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
By eholistic.com Published: 04/28/2010
While a decade of efforts to reduce air pollution in the United States has improved air quality in many cities in the Northeast and Midwest, 175 million people are still exposed to dangerous levels of smog and soot, a new report reveals.
The survey, from the American Lung Association, credits a considerable overall drop in air pollution nationwide to a shift towards cleaner fuels and engines, along with curbs on coal-fired power plant emissions. Along with recent industrial clean-up efforts, the result has been a drop-off in both particle pollution (fine specks of soot, dust and aerosols) and ozone pollution, the report suggests.
However, the organization's analysis also indicates that improvements in air quality have not been spread evenly across the nation, with many urban areas in the Western part of the country seeing poor air quality. That means that 58 percent of Americans still breathe dirty air.
"Air doesn't just get cleaned up by itself," said Janice Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy for the lung association. "We have a history of knowing that you have to put some control equipment on things that produce pollution in order to get results."
"So, certainly we're pleased to see that the air control measures we worked for a long time to put in place are working," she stressed. "There are improvements. But we want people to know that while there are good trends we've still got a lot more clean-up to do. This isn't a done deal."
Nolen highlighted the findings during a recent press conference co-hosted by Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer for the lung association.
Essentially an air quality "report card," the latest annual analysis is based on air pollution data collected between 2006 and 2008 from thousands of official air-quality monitors distributed across the country.
After crunching the numbers, the analysts were able to grade cities and regions on the basis of their air quality.
Some locales demonstrated considerable air quality improvements. Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York City, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore all experienced a drop in both smog and soot levels, the researchers found.
In terms of exposure to short-term "spikes" of particle pollution, Alexandria, Louisiana topped the list as the nation's "cleanest city." In terms of year-round particle pollution exposure, Cheyenne, Wyo., came out on top.
Others were not so fortunate. Overall, one-quarter of Americans (more than 70 million) currently live in places where such short-term spikes render the air they breathe "unhealthful," the report found, while one in 10 Americans (nearly 24 million) are exposed to year-round particle pollution.
The metropolitan Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale perimeter of Arizona topped the list of "most polluted" urban jurisdiction in terms of year-round particle pollutant exposure. In terms of short-term particle pollutant spikes, Bakersfield, Calif., ranked as the city with the most days per year of unhealthy air quality.
With respect to the ozone pollution that stems from vehicle and industrial emissions, the upside appeared to be a drop in the number of "unhealthful" days experienced in 14 of the 25 most polluted urban areas.
Bismarck, N.D., got the top "A" grade for least ozone exposure, with several cities in Texas, Idaho, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Nebraska, Florida and South Dakota also faring well.
On the downside, the report indicated that some cities actually demonstrated a worsening of air quality over the prior 10 years; most of those were located in California.
Los Angeles topped the list for worst ozone pollution. Nevertheless, the current report struck a hopeful chord by noting that the city, nonetheless, recorded its second-lowest ozone levels since 2000.
Edelman pointed out that certain groups are more vulnerable to air pollution than others. The elderly, the very young, and those suffering from heart and/or lung disease are the most vulnerable to smog, he noted.
In the lung association's first look at how economic status affects air pollution exposure, the report found that poor Americans form a specific high-risk group that faces a relatively greater hardship -- such as an increased risk for premature death -- than the general population as a result of chronic air pollution exposure. When it comes to air pollution, said Edelman, "it's bad to be poor."
Meanwhile, Frederica P. Perera, a professor in the department of environmental health sciences with the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City, expressed little surprise with the report.
The mention in the report of the risk to children from such air pollutants is particularly relevant, added Perera, who also serves as director of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. "With our work, we have found that the very young are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollutants."
SOURCES: Janice Nolen, assistant vice president, national policy and advocacy, American Lung Association, Washington, D.C.; Norman H. Edelman, M.D., chief medical officer, American Lung Association; Frederica P. Perera, Ph.D., professor, department of environmental health sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and director, Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, New York City; American Lung Association's State of the Air 2010 Report Published on: April 28, 2010
