Keeping kids healthy

A talk with AAUWDickinson College Air Quality and Quality of Life

Good afternoon,I am Thomas AuBoard member of CABAdvocacy chair for CAB

Justina, also Board member of CAB1

Clean Air Board The Clean Air Board of Central Pennsylvania is an inter- faith-based organization dedicated to achieving clean air to protect our health and quality of life. We accomplish our mission byraising public awareness of air quality issuesadvocating, promoting and coordinating policy and practices for clean airmonitoring air quality

In 2011, CAB was the winner of the Trout Unlimited Limestoner Award for outstanding environmental conservation efforts.

Interfaith Citizen Action and Education GroupBoard composed of ministers, doctors, lawyers, educators, ordinary citizensEleven Cooperating Congregations

We have 3 goals:Raising public awarenessAdvocating and promoting clean air policies and practiciesMonitoring air quality

In many ways , we are similar to the American Lung Association.

2

100 Cumberland Co. Doctors Signed A Petition For Cleaner Air

A Local ConcernAir Quality: It's often worse here than in Baltimore, D.C. and Philly - and it's making us sick

Air Quality: It's worse here than in Baltimore, D.C. and Philly - and it's making us sick Sentinel 4Really, here in the mid-state?The Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon region is

Ranked 19th dirtiest nationwide for 24-hour particle pollution

Ranked 80 for high ozone days out of 277 metropolitan areas

Source: American Lung Associationhttp://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/msas/harrisburg-carlisle-lebanon-pa.html

Factors affecting air quality inCentral PennsylvaniaLocal industries in Cumberland County

Heavy truck traffic through our area

Concentration of trucking facilities

Wind-borne pollutants from upwind power plants

Weather conditions

We receive air pollution from upwind sources.

And we generate air pollution locally.6What is PM2.5 ? Fine particulate matter

1000 times smaller than a typed period30 times smaller than human hairVisible as hazeEasily inhaled

PM 2.5 are particles less than 2.5 microns in size. These are the size that EPA has determined to be of public health concern.

Almost invisible, but can be visible as haze

Easily inhaled, goes deep into lungs.On the particles can be attached toxic substances, such as carcinogens.

Atomizer, or Nebulizer, delivers medicine at 2.5 micron size, exactly the size that penetrates human lung.

7One small particle

Diesel pollution makes people sick. It contains lung irritants, more than 40 air toxics including carcinogens.

Adverse Health Effects of Diesel Particle Air PollutionAn Overview for the Brown EJ ClassPresented by: Nicole Poepping, Clean Water Action Created By: James E. Ginda, MA, RRT, AE-C, CHES

8 Penetrates Our Lungs

EPA: The small size of small particles allows them to be drawn deeply into the lungs. Diesel particulates are, for the most part, even smaller than 2.5 micrometers.9

he differences in size make a big difference in how they affect us. Our natural defenses help us to cough or sneeze larger particles out of our bodies. But those defenses dont keep out smaller particles, those that are smaller than 10 microns (or micrometers) in diameter, or about one-seventh the diameter of a single human hair. These particles get trapped in the lungs, while the smallest are so minute that they can pass through the lungs into the blood stream, just like the essential oxygen molecules we need tosurvive.Source Poepping Giinda Brown EJ class overview9

Decreased lung function Development of chronic bronchitis Irregular heartbeat Premature death in people with heart or lung disease Bladder Cancer Heart Disease Nervous System Impairment Stroke

Source: CATF

Small particle pollution causes a wide range of adverse health effects, including

Children are at RiskImmune and Respiratory Systems are Developing

50% More Air /lb. than Adults

Pollution Retards Lung Development & Causes Health Concerns

How many of you have children or grandchildren that use an inhaler? How many of you have seen more usage of inhalers by the children that you transport?Children are more vulnerable to the health risks of fine particulate matter from diesel exhaust because their immune and respiratory systems are still developingChildren breathe up to 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults.Normally childrens lungs are fully developed by the time they reach 18 years of, but if air pollution retards lung development, they can be subjected to severe respiratory problems later in life.Studies have shown that 40% of the population of the U.S. with asthma are children, and yet children only make up 2.5% of the U.S. population. The problem of asthma in children is on the increase.

12Bad Air DayEPA/DEP declare Air Quality Action Days when pollution levels are expected to reach:PM2.5 fine particulate > 35 micrograms/cubic meterOzone 75 > micrograms/cubic meter

At what level is the orange alert trigger, at the short-term air quality standard.35 ug for particulate75 ug for ozone

The short term air quality standards for PM2.5 and ozone have recently changed. This requires an adjustment of the pollution levels for which DEP will call an AQ action alert. Alerts are called a day in advance based on predicted air quality. One of the factors in predicting AQ action days is weather. When the air is stagnant there is a likelihood for high particulate concentrations to build up. When the air is hot and humid, ozone concentrations will rise. Like weather, the forecaster could be wrong. However, you will see more AQ action day alerts this year than last year because of the new standards.

13 What has CAB done?School bus anti-idling campaign

Asked legislators to enact state-wide anti-idling law (Legislation passed and law went into effect February 6, 2009)

Purchased portable air quality monitor

Clean Air Partnership continuous, real-time PM2.5 monitor at Carlisle Sentinel

Brochure distributed through school districtsFounding stakeholder with Borough Council, Dickinson College, DCA, CCHRA and Letort Authority of the Carlisle Traffic Study, initiated to find solutions to calm Carlisle Borough downtown traffic.PP used by 14 school districts/education of bus drivers about hazards of PM2.5 and effects of idlingCABBIE awards to Howard Long and John SteiglemanAirestotle purchased in conjunction with UUCV14

CAB has a partnership with the Carlisle Sentinel and the Carlisle Regional Medical Center to report PM2.5.This is a screen shot of the Sentinel website, where PM2.5 is displayed in real time. CAB, the Carlisle Regional Medical Center, and the Sentinel joined as partners to get this site up and running. It displays the current measurement for PM2.5, the yesterdays 24 hour average for PM2.5, and a chart of the PM2.5 AQ index. When the number is in the range of the color code, it will display in the color code.

15Air Quality Index National Standard Report System for All PollutantsAQI color code

Who is affected?

What is the significance?

What action should people take?

Green

Air quality is goodEnjoy activities

Yellow

People who are unusually sensitive to air pollution

Air quality is a concern for people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution

People unusually sensitive to air pollution: Plan strenuous activities when air quality is better

Orange

People with heart or lung disease (including asthma), older adults, and children

Air quality is unhealthy for people in sensitive groups

Sensitive groups: Cut back or reschedule strenuous activities

Red

Everyone, especially people with heart or lung disease (including asthma), older adults, and children

Air quality is unhealthy for everyone

Everyone: Cut back or reschedule strenuous activitiesSensitive groups: Avoid strenuous activities

Purple

Everyone, especially people with heart or lung disease (including asthma), older adults, and children

Air quality is very unhealthy for everyone

Everyone: Significantly cut back on physical activitiesSensitive groups: Avoid all physical activities

16How does AQI relate to the ozone and PM2.5?As the weather get warmer, local TV and radio stations will be issuing air pollution forecasts for the next day, telling us that the air quality is good, moderate, or unhealthy. They will be basing their forecasts on a predicted AQI, or Air Quality Index. The AQI is in good range if the AQI is between 1-50, moderate if the AQI number is between 51-100, and unhealthy for sensitive populations if the number is between 101-150. What do these numbers really represent?The numbers constitute EPAs method of standardizing all the pollutant readings on a 1-300 scale. An index number of 1-50 is labeled good, 51-100 is moderate, 101-150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and so on, for each of the pollutants that EPA monitors. When a pollutant is over 100 on the AQI scale, air quality is declared unhealthy for sensitive populations, whether the pollutant is ozone or fine particulate (PM2.5). The orange level is the one which triggers AQ alerts or Action Days.orange alert unhealthy for sensitive peoplelimit outdoor activities young children, the elderly, people with respiratory problems

CAB supports the EPA School Flag Program

Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School students study air quality

Fifth-graders at Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School are studying air quality and participating in a school flag program. By displaying the yellow flag, they are letting people know the air quality is moderate. Pictured are, from left, Zeke Lyman, Ellie Nonemaker and Alyssa Nori.December 19, 2013 11:30 amBy Debbie Chestnut, The Sentinel(0)CommentsSHIPPENSBURG Fifth-graders at Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School are studying the quality of the air they breathe and sharing the information through color-coordinated flags on the flagpole outside their school.

CAB can supply a set of flags and help the school set it up.18Adding a DPF

Photo and graph courtesy of CATF19Solutions: stop idling engines, and add Filters for running engines

Source: CATF toolkit20

AIRESTOTLE

21www.cleanairboard.wordpress.comEmail: cleanairboard@gmail.comQuestions and Comments?