Improving Life, One Breath at a Time

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Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
www.lunginfo.org
1-800-LUNG-USA
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The American Lung Associations State of the Air
Report

• Kevin M. Stewart
• Director of Environmental Health
• American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic

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Philadelphia Diesel Difference Working Group

• American College of Physicians Building
• 190 North Independence Mall West
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Monday, May 19, 2008

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Outline

• History of Report
• Ozone
• Fine Particle Pollution
• Note on Pittsburgh
• Populations at Risk
• Questions

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History

• Evolution of Ozone Standard
• 1979 Standard 0.12 ppm 1-hr daily maximum, up to
  3 exceedance days over three years
• 1997 Standard 0.08 ppm 8-hr daily maximum, 4th
  highest annual value averaged over three years
• How to Communicate to Public?

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History

• ALA Issues first State of the Air (SOTA) Report
  in 2000, assigns grades and ranks
• Covered Ozone Data 1996-1998
• Evolution of Particle Pollution Standard
• 1987 PM10 150 µg/m3 daily standard
• 1997 PM2.5 65 µg/m3 daily standard
• Implementation delayed by lawsuit until U.S.
  Supreme Court decision 2001

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History

• 1997 PM2.5 Daily Standard with Unhealthy for
  Sensitive Groups level at 40 µg/m3
• SOTA Report 2004 includes PM2.5 for the first
  time, using same day-counting method
• 2006 PM2.5 Daily Standard set at 35 µg/m3 (annual
  unchanged)
• SOTA Report 2007 uses new PM2.5 Std.

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History

• 2008 Ozone 8-hour daily maximum Standard set at
  75 ppb
• SOTA Report 2009 to use new Ozone Standard

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Ozone

• Health Impacts
• Pulmonary inflammation
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain when inhaling
• Wheezing, coughing
• Asthma attacks

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Ozone

• Health Impacts
• Increased susceptibility to respiratory
  infections and to allergens
• Increased need for people with chronic lung
  diseases to require medical treatment
• Permanent decrement in lung function from
  long-term exposure
• Cardiac arrhythmia link
• Premature death (3700/10 ppb /yr)

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Ozone

• Populations at Risk
• Infants, children, teens
• Seniors
• People with existing lung diseases (asthma,
  chronic bronchitis, emphysema)
• Outdoor workers and exercisers
• Responders

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Ozone Trend in Phila - C - V CSA
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Ozone Trend in Philadelphia County

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Ozone Trend in Philadelphia County

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Ozone Grades in Pennsylvania

• SOTA 2000 Report
• 22 Fs, 1 D, and 1 C
• .....
• SOTA 2006 Report
• 29 Fs and 2 Ds
• .
• SOTA 2008 Report
• 8 Fs, 8 Ds, 5 Cs, 8 Bs and 2 As

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Fine Particle Pollution

• Health Impacts of Short-term Exposure
• Pulmonary inflammation
• Exacerbation of asthma
• Symptom days / Attacks / ER visits /
  Hospitalization
• Increased respiratory ER visits
• Increased numbers of heart attacks
• Increased hospitalization for cardiovascular
  disease, including strokes
• Increased mortality in infants and young
• Premature respiratory and CV deaths

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Fine Particle Pollution

• Health Impacts of Long-term Exposure
• Increased hospitalization for pediatric asthma
• Significant damage to bronchioles
• Slowed lung function growth in children and teens
• Increased risk of lung cancer death
• Increased risk of death from cardiovascular
  disease
• Premature births

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Fine Particle Pollution

• Populations at Risk
• Infants, children, teens
• Seniors
• People with existing lung diseases (asthma,
  chronic bronchitis, emphysema)
• People with sensitive airways
• People with heart disease
• People with diabetes
• Women over 50

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Trend for Long-term PM in Phila - C - V CSA

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Rankings for Long-term PM in Phila - C - V CSA

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Rankings for Long-term PM in Philadelphia County

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Grades for Long-term PM in Pennsylvania

• SOTA Counties
• Report Year Failing Passing
• 2004 11 6
• 2005 11 9
• 2006 10 10
• 2007 13 11
• 2008 7 11

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Trend for Short-term PM in Philadelphia County

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Rankings for Short-term PM in Philadelphia County

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Grades for Short-term PM in Pennsylvania

• SOTA Counties with Grades
• Report Year F D C 2004 16 3
  4 2005 17 5 1 2006 12 4
  8 begin use of more stringent standard 2007
  21 1 2 2008 18 1 2

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Note on Pittsburgh
Comparison of Trends in Annual
Average Fine-Particle Pollution for
the Pittsburgh and Los Angeles Metropolitan Areas
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Pittsburgh-New Castle CSA

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Los Angeles Long Beach - Riverside

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Rankings for Long-term PM in Pittsburgh-New
Castle CSA

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Metro Area Component County Long-term PM Rankings

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Populations-at-Risk

• Category Phila. Co. Phila.-C-V CSA
• Under 18 370,676 1,547,208
• 65 and Above 188,773 830,364
• Ped. Asthma 34,399 143,581
• Adult Asthma 94,765 413,222
• Chr. Bronchitis 46,140 210,028
• Emphysema 20,183 92,485
• CV Disease 367,502 1,679,649
• Diabetes 84,098 385,159

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A Final Thought

• Approximately one in ten Americans has a
  chronic
• lung disease and is at greater risk from air
  pollution.
• Infants, children, the elderly, and those with
  other chronic
• diseases are at increased risk, too.
• These are not faceless statistics, but people
  close to you
• Your friends, your coworkers.
• Your parents, your children.
• Your neighbor with emphysema struggling to
  breathe.
• Your coworker who can't make it in for that
  important task.
• Your child taking that frightening trip to the
  emergency room.
• Maybe even yourself.

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RememberWhen You Cant Breathe, Nothing Else
Matters.?
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Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
For 100 years, the American Lung Association has
been the lead organization working to prevent
lung disease and promote lung health. Lung
disease death rates continue to increase while
other leading causes of death have declined. The
American Lung Association funds vital research on
the causes of and treatments for lung disease.
With the generous support of the public, the
American Lung Association is Improving life, one
breath at a time. For more information about
the American Lung Association or to support the
work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA
(1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lunginfo.org.
The official registration and financial
information of the American Lung Association of
Pennsylvania may be obtained from the
Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll
free, within Pennsylvania, [phone].
Registration does not imply endorsement.
www.lunginfo.org