- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Molecule in Skin May Link Eczema and Asthma
- Using Music and Sports to Improve Kids' Asthma
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Hypnosis Cuts Hot Flashes for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Pharoah's Wine Jar Yields Medicinal Secrets
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- ANIMAL CARE
- Rest Easy. When It Comes to Swine Flu, Your Pet Is Safe
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Safe Toys for Dogs
- BONES & JOINTS
- Fractures in Older Adults Up Death Risk
- For All Their Plusses, Pets Pose a Risk for Falls, Too
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- CANCER
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- Method for Treating Cervical Lesions May Pose Pregnancy Risks
- Want to Stop Cancer? You Can, Experts Say
- CAREGIVING
- TV Watching Doesn't Fast-Track Baby's Skills
- Baby's Sleep Position May Not Affect Severity of Head Flattening
- ER Less Likely to Diagnose Stroke in Younger Folks
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Salt Boosts Blood Pressure in High-Risk Patients
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
- Mom's Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby's Dental Health
- Health Tip: At Risk for Gingivitis
- DIABETES
- Out-of-Control Blood Sugar May Affect Memory
- Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Problems
- Chamomile Tea May Ward Off Diabetes Damage
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health in Study
- Coffee Drinkers Might Live Longer
- Is Your Refrigerator Getting Enough Attention For Your Raw Food Success?
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Freckles, Moles May Indicate Risk for Eye Cancer
- Clear Skies Have Become Less So Over Time, Data Show
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Protein Might One Day Prevent Blindness
- Nearly 18 Million Will Have Macular Degeneration by 2050
- Nutrient-Rich Diet Lowers Risk of Age-Related Eye Disease
- FITNESS
- Occupational Therapy Plus Exercise Benefits Osteoarthritis
- Good Warm-Ups Could Halve Sports Injuries
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Pesticides and How to Affordably Eat Organic or Reduce Pesticide Consumption
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- The Brain Comes Alive With the Sounds of Music
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Study Suggests Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Tumors
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- The Internet Is Becoming One-Stop Shopping for Health Help
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Relaxation Tapes or Mozart Lower Blood Pressure
- Ingredient in Dark Chocolate Could Guard Against Stroke
- Rheumatoid Arthritis a Threat to the Heart
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- KID'S HEALTH
- Working Intensely Early on May Help Autistic Kids
- Teens Lose More Weight Using Healthy Strategies
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Low Iron Levels Cut Cancer Risk in Men With PAD
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Bullying Seems to Affect Kids Years Later
- Love Hormone May Ease Discussion of Painful Topics
- Musicians' Brains Tuned to Emotions in Sound
- PAIN
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Are We Exercising Pain Away? Not So Much.
- PREGNANCY
- Calcium Supplements Cut Blood Lead Levels During Pregnancy
- Sleeping Could Help Women Lose The Baby Fat
- Placebo Acupuncture Tied to Higher IVF Pregnancies
- SENIORS
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
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
