Report: Our Air Is Some Of The Worst In The State

May 3, 2009

The air we breathe in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties is some of the worst in the state according new information just released by the American Lung Association.

airbreathe.jpgThe “State of the Air” report from 2009 gives Escambia County an “F” for the number of high ozone days — about 46 — per year. Santa Rosa also gets a failing grade for 35 high ozone days per year. The report says the ozone levels are getting worse. Escambia County had 39 more per year in this year’s report than last, and Santa Rosa was up 33.

The report also gives Escambia  County low marks for particle pollution. Exposure to particle pollution to appears to increase women’s risk of lower lung function, developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and dying prematurely, according to the Lung Association. Particle pollution, on average, reaches critical levels about five days per year, the group says. Particle pollution numbers were not released for Santa Rosa County in the 2009 report.

The low air quality is especially problematic for those with certain diseases. In the two county area, about 31,000 people are estimated to have asthma, about 7,000 have chronic bronchitis, 6,100 have emphysema and over 130,000 have cardiovascular disease.

“This should be a wakeup call. We know that air pollution is a major threat to human health,” said Stephen J. Nolan, American Lung Association national board chair. “When 60 percent of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to shape how kids’ lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem.”

Editors note: Since North Escambia borders Escambia County, Alabama, we thought it important to note that we did not include that county in this article because the report does not list any data for Escambia County, Alabama. Many counties are not included in the report because the county does not have any air pollution monitors installed by the EPA.

Comments

7 Responses to “Report: Our Air Is Some Of The Worst In The State”

  1. Ole' Willie on May 7th, 2009 1:05 pm

    Nature has a way to lower pollution ,it’s called economic recession With factories shutting down or scaling back, they will be emitting less pollutants, and the workers will not be driving as much, also lowering emissions. Cruel and harsh, but it’s natures way

  2. Concerned parent on May 5th, 2009 2:00 pm

    It’s not just the smell that we are concerned about.

  3. DJ Cutta Check on May 5th, 2009 11:45 am

    What can we do? We can’t stop breathing. Perhaps, if we identify the source of the stench and properly fine them until a feasible solution is determined, only then can we eliminate the odor.

  4. Century Girl on May 4th, 2009 11:40 pm

    Most health insurance, for groups, is rated higher for Esc Cty, Fl than other Florida counties due to the high incidence of cancer in Escambia Cty, Fl.

  5. Cheryl on May 4th, 2009 4:21 pm

    You can get a daily e-mail with the air quality indicator for your area by subscribing at: http://www.enviroflash.info

  6. Just another local on May 4th, 2009 2:40 pm

    I’ve noticed before that when I travel outside our immediate area, especially during the hot summer months, I breathe much better while I’m gone. The heat bothers me less too, even in places that have the same humidity levels.

  7. Darryl on May 4th, 2009 10:03 am

    This isn’t surprising; when an Aunt was struggling with cancer years ago and going to a specialist in Birmingham, the doctor stated that the regions he covered around Birmingham, the south section down to Mobile and Pensacola was the worse.

    Another thing to consider is the military did studies around their bases on the effects of the chemicals and pollution they generated and the results of that will never see the light of day, but the results were not good.

    As bad as the air may be, the water is probably worse in the rivers and creeks.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News