Improvements in U.S. Air Quality Saves Thousands of Lives Annually

According to the latest report by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and New York University (NYU), the Health of the Air states that thousands of lives are being saved due to improvements in the air quality in the U.S.

Annual Statistics

Published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society, the report observed the health effects of specific matter and ozone pollution beyond the ATS recommended levels. In the report, it reads the yearly number of untimely deaths due to these factors declined from an estimated 12,600 in 2010 to 7,140 in 2017.¹ In addition, the air pollutants were a major factor to some 15,500 critical illnesses, a sharp decline from almost 27,000 in 2010.

The air quality in the U.S. has improved consistently since the Clean Air Act in 1970. Additional addendums and later policies such as the Clean Power Plan² established during the Obama administration has also had an influence on the improvements in U.S. air quality, saving thousands of lives annually. In the recent report, it was also stated that deaths caused by particulate matter pollution declined by 60% since 2010.

However, advancements in air quality improvements have slowed towards the end of the timeline since the Trump Administration decided to cut back on environmental protection policies. In the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report, more cities had particulate matter and ozone pollution from 2015 to 2017 compared to 2014-2016.³

Managing Air Quality

According to the co-author of the recent report, director of the Air Quality Program at NYU Kevin Cromar, ozone pollution is harder to manage, which is why ozone levels have remained consistent since 2010. On the contrary, particulate matter pollution is easier to manage as it comes from direct particle emissions like fire, smokestacks, or sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power plants.

Using POCs to Facilitate Your Respiratory Health in Pollution

If you’re suffering from a respiratory disease, using a portable oxygen concentrator can aid your breathing in high pollution areas – with the supervision of your healthcare physician, of course. Such POCs include the Respironics SimplyGo, Caire Freestyle Comfort, and the Zeno-O Lite as they’re lightweight and long-lasting, giving you the freedom to use them wherever and whenever you want.

If you’d like to find out more on the current status of air quality in the U.S. or would just like to inquire about our inventory of oxygen concentrators, contact a specialist here at Oxygen Always to learn more.

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