Bad Air Quality in Dutchess Could Increase COVID-19 Risks
Nostrils widen, lungs expand and a rush of cold air enters the body followed by a great relief of exhaled air –– the beauty of a simple, deep breath. But this air that fuels the human body and allows it to survive can also be a risk to human health.
The air in the Hudson Valley, breathed by over 2 million people, is a hot spot for extremely dirty air. The American Lung Association rated Dutchess County a grade of a D for high ozone days. High ozone days are when pollution and weather create dangerously higher levels of ozone that can be harmful.
Air quality can cause respiratory problems, and these issues are heightened by Covid-19. Small pollutant elements called PM2.5 are found in the air that pose greater health risks by easily entering the lungs and bloodstream when people breathe. The standard amount of PM2.5 is 12 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) which is constantly measured by monitors under the Clean Air ACT set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
PM2.5 can come from various emissions such as gas, oil, construction and fires, and, like other particles, are released into the atmosphere and can create pollutants. Every slight increase of 1 microgram per meter is linked to increasing COVID-19 deaths by 15%.
“The evidence we have is pretty clear that people who have been living in places that are more polluted over time, that they are more likely to die from coronavirus,” said Aaron Bernstein, director at Harvard University of Center for Climate, Health and Global Environment.
The World Health Organization has a standard for these small pollutant particles of 10 micrograms per cubic meter, while the EPA has a slightly higher standard. There are ways of monitoring air quality on mobile apps or sites such as AirNow and PurpleAir. It’s no surprise that the air quality in highly populated cities can contain greater amounts of air pollution that could impact an individual's recovery should they contract COVID-19 and/or inhale PM2.5 elements.
“It’s the time to be considering whether the status quo that we had in place prior to this disaster is the one we want going forward,” said Susan Anenberg, associate professor at the George Washington University of environmental health. “We don’t need to tolerate this level of air pollution.”
The air in the Hudson Valley, breathed by over 2 million people, is a hot spot for extremely dirty air. Source: Sarah Lynch