The American Lung Association has revealed that the overall air quality for Americans have worsened in the previous year in their annual “State of the Air” research.
According to the association, an estimated 21 million Americans are inhaling air that got dirtier than the previous year. A total of 150 million Americans are breathing polluted air, which may serious long-term consequences.
Although air pollution is a serious health threat for everyone, it is especially dangerous to those with respiratory diseases such as asthma. In an interview with CNN, Tim Seib, a 37-year-old theatre director in New York who has had asthma his whole life, shared the details of his struggles.
Seib likened asthma symptoms to drowning. He said the feeling that he gets when he doesn’t know when he can next inhale a full breath is a frightening sensation that he can never get used to. He expressed his anger by saying that air quality is a matter of his daily health conditions.
This downward trend is a matter of concern as the US celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air act. It also marks the 30th anniversary since 1990, when the act was amended to account for newer chemicals.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that the Clean Air Act has halved the emissions of pollutants identified in the bill. The report alleges that weaker enforcement from the EPA is one of the reasons why air quality has declined this year.
Environmental activists echoed this complaint. Vice president for health at the Environmental Defense Fund told CNN that more than 5 million people are killed annually due to polluted air, and not enough is being done in the US to reduce those numbers.
The effects that climate change may be having on air quality are also discussed in the report. By analyzing data, the report argues that there is a positive correlation between higher temperatures and ozone emissions. Ozones are the chemicals responsible for smogs, which can start asthma attacks.
The dangers of polluted air are not just limited to those who have asthma. Various studies from around the world show that inhaling dirty air may increase the risks of everything from cardiovascular diseases to advancing dementia.
What do you think about this story? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news like this one.
Replaced!