An 18-year old study shows that people who live in areas with high concentrations of ozone are 25 percent to 30 percent more likely to die from respiratory illnesses than those who live in areas with cleaner air.
Scientists of the University of California and Berkley reported on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine that people who live in hot, dry cities such as Los Angeles face the greatest risk of lung disease. They also found ozone, unlike particulate matter, played no role in heart disease rates. Researchers say both pollutants have major impacts on residents’ health, but on different mortality outcomes.
The report is the first to connect chronic exposure to ozone, which is one of the most widespread pollutants in the world, with the risk of death. Scientists reported that raising the ozone level by 10 parts per billion raises the likelihood of death from lung problems such as pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 4 percent.
The study included information on almost 449,000 people and included 118,777 deaths occurring over nearly two decades of follow-up. Researchers also looked at data from the American Cancer Society and pollution data from 96 metropolitan areas in the United States.
Controlling ozone, which is also found to be involved in the process of global warming, may both save lives and also fight global climate change, says lead author Michael Jerrett, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California-Berkeley.
Furthermore, the study suggests the Environmental Protection Agency may need to reconsider its safety standard for ozone. Last year, the EPA changed its air quality standards for ground-level ozone from an average of 84 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion over an eight-hour period. The White House officials intervened to prevent the EPA from setting stronger standards that would have been more costly for industry, although the EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee recommended setting the standard at 60 and 70 parts per billion. The decision was based on a review of studies that demonstrate that even short-term exposure to ozone can exacerbate lung conditions causing illness and hospitalization. It is known that ozone is particularly dangerous for people with existing asthma or lung disease.
Particulate pollution is already known to increase the risk of heart attacks and other serious diseases. The risk of heart attack increases exponentially after exposure to even slightly higher amounts of metal and dust.
Earlier this year, a study conducted by scientists at Brigham Young University in Utah by reducing the smoke polluted particles given off by the cars, the diesel engines and the coal-fired power plants, there was a 15% increase of the 2.72 years of extra longevity seen in the U.S. since 1980. The study tracked the life expectancy, the economic and demographic data and the pollution data from 51 metropolitan areas.
