Air Pollution
What Is Air Pollution?
Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are
detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole.
The Clean Air Act authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to protect public health by regulating the emissions of these harmful
air pollutants. The NRDC has been a leading authority on this law since it
was established in 1970.
What Causes Air Pollution?
“Most air pollution comes from energy use and production,” says John
Walke, director of the Clean Air Project, part of the Climate and Clean Air
program at NRDC. “Burning fossil fuels releases gases and chemicals into
the air.” And in an especially destructive feedback loop, air pollution not
only contributes to climate change but is also exacerbated by it. “Air
pollution in the form of carbon dioxide and methane raises the earth’s
temperature,” Walke says. “Another type of air pollution is then worsened
by that increased heat: Smog forms when the weather is warmer and
there’s more ultraviolet radiation.” Climate change also increases the
production of allergenic air pollutants including mold (thanks to damp
conditions caused by extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen
(due to a longer pollen season and more pollen production).
Effects of Air Pollution
“While we’ve made progress over the last 40-plus years improving air
quality in the U.S. thanks to the Clean Air Act, climate change will make it
harder in the future to meet pollution standards, which are designed to
protect health,” says Kim Knowlton, senior scientist and deputy director of
the NRDC Science Center.
Smog and soot
These two are the most prevalent types of air pollution. Smog, or “ground-
level ozone,” as it is more wonkily called, occurs when emissions from
combusting fossil fuels react with sunlight. Soot, or “particulate matter,” is
made up of tiny particles of chemicals, soil, smoke, dust, or allergens, in
the form of gas or solids, that are carried in the air. The EPA’s “Plain
English Guide to the Clean Air Act” states, “In many parts of the United
States, pollution has reduced the distance and clarity of what we see by
70 percent.” The sources of smog and soot are similar. “Both come from
cars and trucks, factories, power plants, incinerators, engines—anything
that combusts fossil fuels such as coal, gas, or natural gas,” Walke says.
The tiniest airborne particles in soot—whether they’re in the form of gas
or solids—are especially dangerous because they can penetrate the lungs
and bloodstream and worsen bronchitis, lead to heart attacks, and even
hasten death.
Smog can irritate the eyes and throat and also damage the lungs—
especially of people who work or exercise outside, children, and senior
citizens. It’s even worse for people who have asthma or allergies—these
extra pollutants only intensify their symptoms and can trigger asthma
attacks.
Hazardous air pollutants
These are either deadly or have severe health risks even in small
amounts. Almost 200 are regulated by law; some of the most common are
mercury, lead, dioxins, and benzene. “These are also most often emitted
during gas or coal combustion, incinerating, or in the case of benzene,
found in gasoline,” Walke says. Benzene, classified as a carcinogen by the
EPA, can cause eye, skin, and lung irritation in the short term and blood
disorders in the long term. Dioxins, more typically found in food but also
present in small amounts in the air, can affect the liver in the short term
and harm the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, as well as
reproductive functions. Lead in large amounts can damage children’s
brains and kidneys, and even in small amounts it can affect children’s IQ
and ability to learn. Mercury affects the central nervous system.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are toxic components of traffic
exhaust and wildfire smoke. In large amounts, they have been linked to
eye and lung irritation, blood and liver issues, and even cancer. In one
recent study, the children of mothers who’d had higher PAH exposure
during pregnancy had slower brain processing speeds and worse
symptoms of ADHD.
Greenhouse gases
By trapping the earth’s heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases lead to
warmer temperatures and all the hallmarks of climate change: rising sea
levels, more extreme weather, heat-related deaths, and increasing
transmission of infectious diseases like Lyme. According to a 2014 EPA
study, carbon dioxide was responsible for 81 percent of the country’s total
greenhouse gas emissions, and methane made up 11 percent. “Carbon
dioxide comes from combusting fossil fuels, and methane comes from
natural and industrial sources, including the large amounts that are
released during oil and gas drilling,” Walke says. “We emit far larger
amounts of carbon dioxide, but methane is significantly more potent, so
it’s also very destructive.” Another class of greenhouse gases,
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are thousands of times more powerful than
carbon dioxide in their ability to trap heat. In October 2016, more than
140 countries reached an agreement to reduce the use of these chemicals
—which are used in air conditioners and refrigerators—and find greener
alternatives over time. David Doniger, director of NRDC’s Climate and
Clean Air program, writes, “NRDC estimates that the agreed HFC phase-
down will avoid the equivalent of more than 80 billion tons of CO2 over the
next 35 years.”
Pollen and mold
Mold and allergens from trees, weeds, and grass are also carried in the
air, are exacerbated by climate change, and can be hazardous to health.
They are not regulated by the government and are less directly connected
to human actions, but they can be considered air pollution. “When homes,
schools, or businesses get water damage, mold can grow and can produce
allergenic airborne pollutants,” Knowlton says. “Mold exposure can
precipitate asthma attacks or an allergic response, and some molds can
even produce toxins that would be dangerous for anyone to inhale.”
Pollen allergies are worsening because of climate change. “Lab and field
studies are showing that the more carbon dioxide pollen-producing plants
—especially ragweed—are grown in, the bigger they grow and the more
pollen they produce,” Knowlton says. “Climate change also extends the
pollen production season, and some studies are beginning to suggest that
ragweed pollen itself might be becoming a more potent allergen.” That
means more people will suffer runny noses, fevers, itchy eyes, and other
symptoms.
How to Help Reduce Air Pollution
“The less gasoline we burn, the better we’re doing to reduce air pollution
and harmful effects of climate change,” Walke says. “Make good choices
about transportation. When you can, walk, ride a bike, or take public
transportation. For driving, choose cars that get better miles per gallon of
gas or choose an electric car.” You can also investigate your power
provider options—you may be able to request that your electricity be
supplied by wind or solar. Buying your food locally cuts down on the fossil
fuels burned in trucking or flying food in from across the country. And
perhaps most important, “Support leaders who push for clean air and
water and responsible steps on climate change,” Walke says.
