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California air is three times more deadly than previously thought


  3. AndreaKnoll
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According to information just released by the California Environmental Protection Agency's Air Resources Board (ARB) up to 24,000 deaths a year may be attributed to particulate pollution. The figure is triple that of previous official estimates.

The new data was compiled by USC, who tracked 23,000 people in greater Los Angeles, and the American Cancer Society, who tracked 300,000 people nationwide.

One the reasons that the new estimated death toll is so much higher, is that experts had previously underestimated the dangers of particulate matter, which is too small to be caught by the body's own nose and throat, hair and mucous filtration system, and lodges deep in lungs, causing all manner of health problems such as asthma, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

"Our report concludes these particles are 70% more dangerous than previously thought, based on several major studies that have occurred in the last five years," said the ARB's chief researcher, Bart Croes, in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. "There's no death certificate that says specifically someone died of air pollution, but cities with higher rates of air pollution have much greater rates of death from cardiovascular diseases."

As shown on the California Environmental Protection Agency maps above, California has more counties designated for nonattainment of PM-10 (particulate matter less than 10 microns in size) safety levels in the "serious" classification than the rest of the U.S. put together. A similar map also shows widespread non-compliance for PM-2.5 safety levels (a classification for smaller particles) in California.

Not un-coincidentally, according to data compiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 1996, the top 5 metropolitan areas in the nation ranked by mortality rates attributable to particulate matter are all in California. The worst offender was Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, followed by Riverside-San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Stockton.

With such toxic air effectively fatally poisoning 24,000 people per year in the Golden State, drastic measures, such as the Bay Area's new pollution tax, are sorely needed.

"Particle pollution is a silent killer," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "We must work even harder to cut these life-shortening emissions by further addressing pollution sources head-on."
AndreaKnoll

14 responses // California air is three times more deadly than previously thought

  • http://www.alternet.org/story/17252/
    Crimes Against Nature...

    From the link...

    The head of the Forest Service is a timber industry lobbyist. The head of public lands is a mining industry lobbyist who believes that public lands are unconstitutional. The head of the air division at EPA is a utility lobbyist who has represented the worst air polluters in America. The second in command at EPA is a Monsanto lobbyist. The head of Superfunds, an agency critical to quality of life here in Oregon, is a lobbyist whose last job was teaching corporate polluters how to evade Superfunds.

    http://www.alternet.org/environment/20124
    1Eco_Media
  • http://www.nrdc.org/
    The Earth's Best Defense.

    Natural Resources Defense Council
    1Eco_Media
  • Holy crap... 24,000?! I had no idea this was happening to my country...
    Dmitri_Molotov
  • Everyone needs to know about this!!!
    (So they don't move to Cali, it's way too crowded here.) I hear Nebraska has good air
    BetterWatching
  • This is particularly frightening for me, for I am amidst the danger zone. I live near Pasadena and Los Angeles. My area in particular has some of the worst air quality in the nation. I am settled in foothills which capture all the smog and pollution. I've heard that living in my city, you will have the lungs of a 2-year smoker by the age of 15. Can we fix this fast enough? Are we willing to do what's necessary to fix this, or is it too inconvenient for us?
    Sara_Airey
  • Great, now reveal the Mexico map, please.

    TOXIC MOLECULE:
    "Borders? We don't need no stinking borders."
    kramericus
  • Oh yeah, that's sexy. Come to California, Land Of The Sexy *cough cough* Models and Holly *cough* Wood Stars!

    Why do love good things do death? California suffers because its popular, and because the geography lends itself to capturing smog in valleys. You would think if people really liked the place so much they'd stop driving HUMMERS!!!
    Kati_kat
  • Thanks for Posting Andrea! Great Article! That is the first time I see the report of these two very toxic elements up here. (PM-10; PM-2.5). I found out about these two very toxic elements when I was attending City Hall Meetings last Year. The City Planning Department here in San Francisco Know about it!

    http://current.com/items/88918494_san_francisco_air_qua...

    PM-10 (particulate matter less than 10 microns in size) safety levels in the "serious" classification than the rest of the U.S. put together. A similar map also shows widespread non-compliance for PM-2.5 safety levels (a classification for smaller particles) in California.

    http://current.com/items/88918494_san_francisco_air_qua...
    stopnoise
  • I moved to Los Angeles from England ten years ago, and can definitely feel the effects of pollution on my lungs, as can my husband. And the black soot I clean off my windowsills is frightening because I know that stuff is also in my lungs.....
    AndreaKnoll
  • Excellent news
    Anum
  • The Southern California pollution levels don't surprise me -- but I'm wondering what's going on in northern Idaho and NW Montana... what's up with that???
    shelchak
  • @Kati_Kat: That's southern California. They don't count. Really, if we succeed in seceding we'll just let them have SoCal.
    Dmitri_Molotov
  • hmm
    Anum
  • Dmitri: Good point! I've been advocating secession for years now ('cause we have all the water up here). Although I do see quite a few Hummers in NorCal.. Think we should boot 'em out? ;)
    Kati_kat

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