What Will You Do for Cleaner Air?

The atmosphere is huge, but our individual choices add up to big impacts on air quality. Follow these tips to help our air OK!

1. Move Cleaner

Vehicles are a major source of emissions that contribute to air pollution. Ozone is created when car pollutants react with sunlight. Hot and sunny summer days in Oklahoma can trigger high ozone levels, so drive cleaner and use alternative transportation.

A. Carpool

Share a ride to reduce traffic congestion and save $600+ in fuel and maintenance.

Drive Cleaner

You can also drive cleaner in your own car. Combine trips to save money and fuel. Refuel at night and avoid topping off the tank to limit evaporation of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Finally, avoid idling your engine because it wastes fuel and can double your car’s air emissions.

B. Hop on the Bus

One bus can take 35 cars off the road. Learn to ride here:

• EMBARK (OKC) http://embarkok.com
• CART (Norman) http://www.ou.edu/cart.html
• Citylink (Edmond) http://www.citylinkedmond.com
• LATS (Lawton) http://ridelats.com
• Tulsa Transit http://tulsatransit.org

During ozone season, bus fares may be reduced or free on some days. Many buses have bike racks, so you can bike and ride. Or, take an early stop, and add a walk to your trip.

C. Ride a Bike

Bike ownership costs $120/yr compared to $8000+ for a car. Bikes are great for students close to campus. Join other cyclists for Bike Month (May) and Bike-to-Work Day.

D. Walk

Walk for your health as well as clean air. 30 minutes a day reduces your risk your heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension

2. Use Electric Lawn Care Equipment

Inefficient small engines spew unburnt fuel and oil. Using a gas lawn mower for one hour releases as much air pollution as driving a car for 45 miles. 17 million gallons of gas spill while refueling lawn equipment each year in the US. In 2015, we helped Central OK residents exchange 95 gas mowers for electric ones, cutting 19,800 lbs of annual emissions.

3. Choose a Low Pollution Boat Motor

Consider a 4-stroke or direct fuel injection 2-stroke engine versus a traditional 2-stroke model. These engines produce 75% less air emissions, use 35-50% less gas, and use 50% less oil.

4. Keep it Cleaner at Home

Energy vampires are unused but plugged-in devices drawing electricity which increase power plant emissions. Big users include computers, digital displays/TVs, cable/satellite boxes, phone chargers, and game consoles. These devices can add 10+% of your electric bill, so use power strips, unplug devices/chargers, and choose ENERGY STAR rated models.

Reduce VOC release at home by choosing low-VOC paints and carpets, and use brushes and rollers instead of spray painting. Also, tightly cap all solvent containers.

Conclusion

Keep our air OK.
Cleaner air starts with you.
Your choices count!

Asthma’s Love/Hate Relationship with Air Quality

Like any relationship, there are good days and bad days. When air quality is poor, asthma conditions can worsen.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), nearly 25 million American suffer from asthma and are, consequently, in a love/hate relationship with air quality (https://www.aafa.org/asthma-capitals/).

Defining the Relationship–the Oklahoma Way

Relationship Status

In 2010, 274,700 Oklahomans reported current asthma which is a condition that can be directly influenced by local air quality.

Of these reported cases, 1 out 3 people (29.8%) were unable to work or carry out usual activities at least one day during the past 12 months because of their asthma.1 out of 2 people (57.3%) reported they had an asthma attack during the past 12 months.

Based on air pollution concentrations, number of ozone days, pollen counts, medication utilization, poverty rates, and public smoking laws, Oklahoma City ranked fifth on the AAFA’s “Top 10 Asthma Capitals” for 2013.

1. Richmond, Virginia
2. Chattanooga, Tennessee
3. Memphis, Tennessee
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
6. Detroit, Michigan
7. Dayton, Ohio
8. McAllen, Texas
9. Atlanta, Georgia
10. Knoxville, Tennessee

In 2012, Oklahoma City ranked 8th on AAFA’s “Top 10 Asthma Capitals”.

In addition to receiving a 5th place ranking by AAFA, Oklahoma City was given a worse than average designation for asthma prevalance, self-reported ashtma prevalence, annual pollen score, 100% public smoke-free laws, unisured rate, ER visits for asthma, use of quick relief meds, and use of control meds. Oklahoma City received an average designation for crude death rate for asthma, air quality, poverty rate, and number of respiratory specialists.

In the summer of 2012, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality issued 90 Air Quality Health Advisories to notify citizens pollutant concentrations were unhealthy.

Fortunately, there are ways to monitor air quality conditions before health advisories are issued: http:www.deq.state.ok.us/aqdnew/

1. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a daily public report based on the previous day’s monitored pollutant concentrations. It is also used to predict levels of specific types of air pollutants.

2. An Ozone Watch is a prediction that concentrations of ozone will approach levels of concern over the next 24 hours.

Handling the Occasional Upsets in the Relationship

When air quality is poor…

• Reschedule outdoor events for the morning or evening hours.
• Modify activities that require high levels of exertion.
• Pay attention to air quality health advisories by signing up on the DEQ web site: http://www.deq.state.ok.us/aqdnew/AdvisorySignUp.htm
• Limit or avoid outdoor activity if necessary.

Improving the Relationship

The love aspect of the asthma and air quality relationship can be strengthened over time by following these simple suggestions:

• Bike, walk or rideshare when possible
• Adjust the thermostat–higher in the summer, lower in the winter.
• Maintain vehicle and skip the drive thru–go inside instead
• Get fuel when it is cool outside
• Use LED or compact fluorescent bulbs
• Recycle

It’s important to invest time and put forth effort to improve the relationship. One way to do this is to set up an asthma management plan.

Conclusion

Getting along with asthma is much easier when you stay in touch with air quality.

Weather–How Does It Fit into the Air Quality Puzzle?

Predicting how air pollution levels will change over time can be a complicated process.

How far will the pollution spread?

Will it get worse?

What health precautions should be taken?

How long will it last?

To piece the answers together these factors should be considered: emissions, solar radiation, topography, and weather.

Emissions

The characteristics of polluted air depend on the type, size, and number of emitting sources.

Solar Radiation

Solar radiation causes emissions to react chemically which produces more air pollution. Nitrogen oxides (NO_x) + volatile organic compounds (VOCs) = ozone.

Topography

Air pollutants can get trapped in valleys when upward air motion is inhibited by inversions.

Weather

Wind

Wind can disperse air pollutants (reduce concentrations) and/or transport pollutants far from their sources. High winds can cause fugitive dust if conditions are dry.

Pressure

Low pressure is often associated with winds, clouds, and precipitation which means there are typically less pollutants. *Exception: high winds that cause fugitive dust when conditions are dry.

High pressure is often associated with calm winds and clear skies. Stagnant air = more pollutants.

Precipitation

Precipitation tends to wash pollutants out of the air.

Clouds

Clouds scatter, reflect, or absorb sunlight which affects the amount that reaches the ground. Emissions + sunlight = ozone (air pollutant).

Temperature

High temperatures speed up the chemical reactions of air pollutants.

Increasing temperature with height characterizes an inversion (pollutants get trapped under the inversion near the ground).

Conclusion

Weather can significantly influence air quality conditions. Understanding this influence is essential to protecting our health when pollution levels are high.