Health Effects of Ozone and Particle Pollution cont'd

The Atlanta Story

Atlanta, Georgia, is a prime example of an urban area with a history of serious ozone problems. So what happened in 1996 that later made such news in the health community? Turns out, the determined efforts of the city to reduce traffic during the Olympics succeeded in not just reducing congestion, but in improving the health of children with asthma. Revamping the way the city moved people during the Summer Olympic Games created a prolonged period of low ozone pollution that resulted in significantly lower rates of childhood asthma events for children aged 1–16. The number of asthma acute care events (e.g. treatment and hospitalization) decreased 42 percent in the Georgia Medicaid claims files. Pediatric emergency departments also saw significant reductions, as did the Georgia Hospital Discharge Database and a health maintenance organization database. It is important to note researchers determined that weather was not the determining factor in the reduced ozone levels. The health benefits the residents of Atlanta realized were truly due to their own efforts.35

Increasing the Evidence of Harm

Just last year, researchers from Yale University published in the Journal of the American Medical Association a study of children with asthma, whose mothers had tracked their symptoms on a daily basis. The study found that children with asthma were particularly vulnerable to ozone even at levels below EPA's current 8-hour ozone standard. 36 An accompanying editorial warned, "Air pollution is one of the most under-appreciated contributors to asthma exacerbation."37

While confirmatory research is needed, a couple of recent studies suggest that year-round exposure to ozone may be associated both with an increased risk of the development of asthma. Researchers tracking 3,500 students in Southern California found an increased onset of asthma in children who were taking part in three or more outdoor activities in communities with high levels of ozone.38 An earlier study conducted on 3,000 adults in a Seventh Day Adventist community found that high levels of ozone, over time, were associated with adult onset asthma in nonsmoking males.39

Other recent studies have documented that high levels of ozone are linked to increased school absences for children from respiratory illnesses. Researchers looking at Reno, Nevada, and at a large group of children from Southern California linked high levels of ozone to increased absences for elementary school children.40

Ozone is harmful even when levels are low, especially for the elderly. Researchers in Montreal, Quebec, kept track of daily emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses in 25 hospitals. They found that patients over the age of 64 routinely showed respiratory problems immediately following days with higher ozone levels -- even though ozone levels never rose above the 1-hour ozone standard of 120 parts per billion.41

Community health studies are pointing to less obvious, but serious effects from year-round exposure to ozone, especially for children. Yale University scientists followed five hundred students and determined that living just four years in a region with high levels of ozone and related co-pollutants was associated with diminished lung function and frequent reports of respiratory symptoms.42 A much larger study of 3,300 school children in Southern California found reduced lung function in girls with asthma and boys who spent more time outdoors in areas with high levels of ozone.43

To minimize your exposure to ozone and particle pollution:

• Pay attention to forecasts for high air pollution days to know when to take precautions
• Avoid exercising near high-traffic areas
• Avoid exercising outdoors when pollution levels are high, or substitute an activity that requires less exertion
• Eliminate indoor smoking
• Reduce the use of fireplaces and wood-burning stoves

Basically, avoid doing anything that causes you to breathe very deeply on days when pollution levels are high. The more deeply you breathe, the deeper into your lungs the particles will go. Listen to local news reports about air quality and reduce your exposure. Support national, state and local efforts to clean up the sources of pollution, as discussed in this report.

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