Report: Pollution critical threat on par with malaria, TB

A new report released today by New York-based Blacksmith Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to cleaning up life-threatening pollution, and Green Cross Switzerland calculates, for the first time, the global health impact of pollution across 49 countries, giving the broadest picture of pollution’s toll to date. The 2012 report The World’s Worst Pollution Problems reveals that the health impact of pollution is the same or higher than some of the most dangerous diseases worldwide, threatening millions of lives. It is similar in scope to better-known problems such as malaria and tuberculosis. The report also identifies the top ten toxic industries responsible (see list below), and offers workable solutions.

“The report underscores the need to fully recognize the health impacts caused by toxic pollution at this critical juncture. Life-threatening pollution is likely to increase as the global economy exerts an ever-increasing pressure on industry to meet growing demands. The damage will be greatest in many low and middle-income countries, where industrial pollution prevention regulations and measures have not kept pace,” says Richard Fuller, President, Blacksmith Institute.

“Even though it puts nearly 125 million people at risk, pollution remains one of the most under-recognized global problems. Appropriately, large amounts of time and resources are devoted to addressing the burden of diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. The striking fact is that international and local government action on these diseases greatly outpaces the attention given to toxic sites, which, as demonstrated in this report, contribute greatly to the global burden of disease,” says Dr. Stephan Robinson, Unit Manager (Waste, legacy), Green Cross Switzerland.

The 2012 World’s Worst Pollution Problems Report is the latest in a series of pollution reports released annually since 2006 that document the state of the world’s worst polluted places and pollution problems. The reports have been instrumental in increasing public understanding of the health impacts posed by toxic pollution, and in some cases, have compelled cleanup work at pollution hotspots. These reports have been issued jointly by Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland since 2007. All released reports are available for download at www.worstpolluted.org.

Snapshot of industrial pollution in 49 countries, plus solutions

This year’s report identifies those pollutants commonly found in industrial processes, whose health impacts are quantifiable, and traces their industry uses and health risks. It goes on to list the top ten polluting sources/industries and offer solutions, highlighting opportunities to implement life-saving cleanup and pollution prevention efforts.

Most importantly, the new report attempts to quantify the true extent of pollution’s threat by measuring the global health impacts of contaminated sites across 49 low and middle-income countries. This is the first time such a calculation has been made to measure pollution’s toll on lives over such a wide area. The previous report began the effort by calculating the disease burden of individual contaminated sites.

Calculating Pollution’s Toll in 17 Million DALYs

The impact of pollution is measured in Disability Adjusted Life Years, or DALYs, which capture the total number of life years lost from early death as well as any reduction in quality of life resulting from disease.

DALYs allow for comparisons to be drawn between different types of public health risks, taking into account both the severity and duration of a given disease. Chronic headaches for example are given a lower value in the DALY metric than more severe health outcomes such as blindness or cancer.

The report found that the public health impact of industrial pollutants, measured in DALYs, is the same or higher than some of the most dangerous diseases worldwide. The report finds that exposure to contaminants at hazardous waste sites across the 49 countries analyzed results in more than 17 million DALYs. By comparison malaria results in some 14 million DALYs in the countries reviewed while tuberculosis results in some 25 million DALYs. These numbers are by no means conclusive but can be taken as indicative of the potential scale of the problem.

The 2012 report was generated out of analysis of on the ground data collected by Blacksmith Institute’s Toxic Sites Identification Program over the past three years during site assessments at thousands of toxic hotspots in low- and middle-income countries. The impact estimates are based on the body of research that the field studies provided. This, in combination with toxicological information provided by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other public health leaders, enabled the Blacksmith Institute to quantify the most severe and widespread pollution problems.

Top Ten Toxic Industries Listed by DALY (Disability Adjusted Life Year) 

1. Lead-Acid Battery Recycling - 4,800,000
2. Lead Smelting - 2,600,000
3. Mining and Ore Processing - 2,521,600
4. Tannery Operations - 1,930,000
5. Industrial/Municipal Dump Sites - 1,234,000
6. Industrial Estates - 1,060,000
7. Artisanal Gold Mining - 1,021,000
8. Product Manufacturing - 786,000
9. Chemical Manufacturing - 765,000
10. Dye Industry - 430,000

Report: Toxic Air and American Schools

USA Today’s recently released report, Toxic Air and American Schools, has really hit a nerve with school administrators and parents alike.

It’s understandable; nobody wants to be told that the air quality in the school they are running may be a risk to the health of the kids who are attending. And certainly no parent wants to imagine that their child is breathing carcinogens, while learning.

So many schools are lashing back, claiming that no actual air quality tests were made, that the information in the report was merely based on statistics. Meanwhile, many parents are outraged, demanding action and improved air quality for their children.

The way the USA report works is it ranks each school on a percentile scale comparing it to the other schools in the nation. There are two separate rankings, one for exposure to cancer causing air toxins and one for exposure to non-cancer causing air toxins. USA derived these rankings by using an EPA model to identify the path of pollutants emanating from industrial sources near schools.

The report concludes, “The potential problems that emerged were widespread, insidious, and largely unaddressed.”

Yikes.

We’ve never a published a report like the one released by USA Today, and we don’t necessarily agree with everything that’s in the report, but one thing’s for sure, it’s about time air quality becomes a hot topic.

The mere fact that people are talking about air quality is an important step in the right direction.

If nothing else this report has opened many people’s eyes to the possibility that air quality could be affecting their health—- or the health of their children. There’s lots of information available for those seeking it, and even effective solutions for those that choose them.

For more information on indoor air quality, please visit www.allerair.com, or to speak to an AllerAir IAQ Expert about including air purifiers in your home or local school, call 888.852.8247.

Breathe Smog? Report Says You’re More Likely to Die Early.

According to a recent report released by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, people who are exposed to high levels of smog, even for as little as a day, have an increased risk of premature death.

The committee leading the research concluded that even short-term exposure to ozone can exacerbate lung conditions, causing illness and hospitalization and can potentially lead to death.

The Bush administration has resisted stricter standards on smog, and maintains there is no evidence to support this report.

Ozone is the primary ingredient of smog and is created from nitrogen oxide and organic compounds released from car engines and other fossil-fuel-burning sources. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Experts point to the fact that these primary ingredients of smog have long been proven to be a health risk.

“These toxins are proven to increase the risk of respiratory problems, especially in children and the elderly,” said biochemical engineer and AllerAir IAQ Expert, Karen Hand. “This fact alone is reason enough for people to be proactive about protecting their health, and the health of those that they love.”

Hand says high-quality air purifiers are providing protection to many North American families who are concerned about the effect of poor indoor air quality.

For more information on the dangerous effects of smog, or for more information on high-quality air purifiers, contact one of AllerAir’s Indoor Air Quality Expert at 1.888.852.8247 or visit their www.allerair.com website.

Diesel Exhaust and California Air Pollution; Air Purifiers a Must for Polluted State

One of the worst states to live in, in terms of pollution, is California. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Experts agree: if any state should be worried about its air quality, it is indeed this one—- and if any residents should use air purifiers, Californians should.

A new report released this week by the South Coast Air Quality Management District found diesel exhaust was the key driver for air toxics risk, accounting for more than 80 percent of the total air toxics risk in the overall Southern California area sampled. In areas where there is more truck traffic, the air quality is significantly worse.

A separate report issued by Cal State Northridge researchers states that particulate concentrations are on the rise in the east end of the San Fernando Valley.

California also has the worst rate of soot pollution in the United States, according to a 2006 report released by an environmental group.

The air quality reports and alerts that focus on California are abundant. Karen Hand, B. Chem. Eng and IAQ Expert with AllerAir says, “People who live in California must take measures to ensure that the air they breathe when they are indoors is at least safer than the air outdoors—- and that’s not necessarily the case if you don’t have an air purifier in your home.”

Hand recommends air purifier units like AllerAir’s Air Medic+ Exec, that combines a HEPA filter to remove 99.97% of particles, with a deep-bed carbon filter for additional protection against dangerous airborne chemicals.

For more information on air purifiers, you can contact any of AllerAir’s IAQ Experts at 888.852.8247.

Serious Air Pollution Becomes Growing Concern in Alaska

Federal environmental officials announced yesterday that citizens living in Fairbanks and Juneau, Alaska, are at risk to serious health concerns, as a result of the chronic air pollution in these two cities.

Fairbanks and Juneau join the list of places where tiny bits of airborne dust, termed “particulate” pollution, or PM2.5, is bad enough to cause serious health concerns and force local officials to respond. Like the rest of North America, Alaskan residents are also at risk to a high degree of chemicals in the air.

Federal health officials have linked particulate pollution to short-term and long-term health problems. It's prevalent in places like Fairbanks and Juneau due in part to weather patterns that trap cold, stagnant air close to the ground.

The indoor air experts at AllerAir are warning Juneau and Fairbanks residents to take their own measures to ensure their indoor air is clean. “This announcement most certainly should not be taken lightly,” said AllerAir Indoor Air Quality Expert, Karen Hand, B. Chem. Eng. “Residents need to be proactive in these situations to ensure the safety of themselves, as well as their families.”

The experts at AllerAir suggest:

1) Incorporating indoor plants in your home that scrub the air and produce oxygen.
2) Using non-toxic cleaners, i.e., non-solvent cleaners.
3) Using air purifiers that combine a deep carbon bed with a HEPA filter.

Short- and long-term exposure to fine-particulate pollution can cause serious health problems. When they become lodged deep in the lungs, particulates can cause chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function and, for people with lung or heart disease, shorter lives.

To talk to an Air Quality Expert at AllerAir, call their tollfree number at (888) 852-8247 or visit their website at www.allerair.com.