Worcester County Gets an “F” for Air Pollution

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Ashley Klann, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The American Lung Association gave Worcester County an “F” for having high levels of air pollution, an issue that causes many problems for those living with asthma and other breathing problems. The issue in many cases only gets worse in the summer.

Of the county’s total population, nearly 1 out of every 10 people has either Pediatric or Adult Asthma, which is higher than the national percentage. While asthma is one of the more prominent chronic conditions, those living with bronchitis, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes are also highly affected by air quality.

The Major Players

According to information from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the American Lung Association, there are many contributing factors that add up to give Worcester County a poor grade.

Ozone, soot, smog, car pollution, diesel, and particulate matter are all things that are seen throughout the area.

“From our perspective, the two worst contributors are smog and soot. Smog, which is primarily ozone – in terms of lung health, it’s actually sunburn on the inside of your lungs,” said Katie King, Director of Health Promotion and Public Policy at the American Lung Association Springfield. “It causes inflammation and difficulty breathing, only adding for people who have breathing issues.”

While those with breathing problems are more likely to be affected by poor air quality, someone who doesn’t have a terminal issue could also be at risk for a deadly response.

“There are people called responders – some who are even runners and very healthy people – who react to breathing in the ozone. I think it’s important to know that if you have a disease already you’re at risk, but even if you’re not, you’re still susceptible,” King said. “There’s also an added risk for people who work outside. Now that summer is coming, we’re hoping people are checking.”

Soot, the agency’s other primary concern is a huge risk. These invisible particles are too small to see and pass through the protection of the lungs and go directly into the bloodstream, and can cause heart attacks and strokes.

The American Lung Association's ranking of Mass. counties' levels of ozone. Orange days indicate levels unhealthy for at-risk populations. Red indicates days of unhealthy levels of ozone for everyone, and purple indicates very unhealthy levels of ozone for the population. "DNC" indicates no data collected.

Summer’s Impact

With the onset of warmer weather, many air quality issues become more of a risk.

“Soot and particulates are year round issues, but ozone is a mixture of air pollutants, that are baked in the sun and heat. That’s when we see ground level ozone form,” King said.

Another large issue that affects air pollution in the summer is something that Worcester is seeing a lot of – construction.

Worcester’s Regional Environmental Council (REC) has looked at the issue and has helped to remedy the problem.

“One thing we’re working on has to do with diesel pollution and quality of air we breathe. We have been working with school department due to the concern that a lot of construction takes place around schools, especially in the summer. There’s a lot more city and school construction,” said Coby Owusu, Program Director of Environmental Health and Justice at the REC. “We’re asking what types of fuels and engines are the trucks using. Are there other options available?” The REC has already been responsible for retrofitting 33 school buses to be more energy efficient.

Given these issues that Worcester County faces, there are also outside factors that contribute to its failing grade. Not everything is the city’s fault.

Not All Worcester’s Fault

The REC has been looking into several issues surrounding the air quality in Worcester, including local covered landfills and indoor air problems. Carbon dioxide and car emissions have also been a forefront cause, but not all of these troublesome pollutants are Worcester’s fault.

“Ozone build-up during the summer but can be directly attributable from sources from the Mid-West and New Jersey,” said Joe Ferson, Public Affairs for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. “Automobiles are a major cause too, and there are a lot of local factors, but it’s not just from those sources. Lawn equipment, gas stations, as well as paints and solvents can contribute to ozone as well.”

While pollution can gather in one place, air patterns and natural cycles are often to blame for an area’s high levels of ozone and other air pollution.

“Air pollution doesn’t respect boundaries we set up. These are regional issues. We get a large amount of pollution coming from states to our south and west,” King said. “There are definitely local things, but a huge piece of it is looking at state and federal policies. There are a lot of coal fired plants to our south and west, and unfortunately, we aren’t always the ones creating the pollution.”

Preventive Measures

The New England Chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is advocating for families to have an asthma action plan.

“Good asthma management starts with prevention, and an asthma action plan can help with that,” said Sharon Schumack, Director of Education.

The organization has launched a new campaign called Take Action! Take an Asthma Action Plan to School. The campaign will be implemented in elementary schools throughout New England. School nurses will send flyers home to parents with information about asthma action plans, encouraging them to obtain one and bring a copy to school.

“Parents who have children with asthma should take action now by making an appointment with the doctor that treats their child's asthma, getting a written asthma action plan and bringing it to their child's school nurse by the beginning of the new school year,” she said. “The school nurse should be an active partner in helping keep your child with asthma healthy and able to focus on learning.”

These tips will hopefully help offset the effects of poor air quality and keep those at risk in better shape when episodes arise.

“In addition to having explicit directions for managing and treating a child's asthma, a good asthma action plan focuses on prevention, and can serve as a communication tool to better coordinate care among those who care for a child with asthma,” says Schumack.