Slight Improvement in Air Quality but Ozone Grade Still 'F'

The air quality in Rowan County and the Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury metropolitan area, which includes Cabarrus County, has improved slightly, according to the American Lung Association (ALA), but the ground-level ozone in this area is still some of the worst in the United States.

In its recently released State of the Air report, the ALA ranked Rowan County as the nation’s 17th worst county for ground-level ozone, an improvement over last year’s 13th-place rating. The Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury metropolitan area was ranked 10th in the nation for most ozone-polluted cities, also a slight improvement over last year’s report. The rankings were based on federally reported pollution data for 2006-2008.

The air monitor located on the county line between Rowan and Cabarrus counties registered an average of 83 parts per billion (ppb) from 2007-2009. This does not meet the EPA’s 2008 standard of 75 ppb and clearly falls short of the new proposed standard, which presents a range for the allowable concentration of ground-level ozone from 60-70 ppb. A specific figure will be announced in August.

“We are pleased that our region’s air improved slightly,” says John Wear, executive director of the Center for the Environment at Catawba College, “but we clearly have a long way to go. We haven’t met the 2008 standard yet and the stricter standard will present an even greater challenge.”

Ozone—or photochemical smog—is the most widespread air pollutant. Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxide gases and volatile organic compounds (carbon-containing chemicals that evaporate easily into the air, like gasoline vapors) from vehicle and industrial emissions react in the sunlight and heat.

“When you inhale ozone, it irritates your lungs, leaving them with something like a bad sunburn,” says Dr. Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. “It causes health problems the day you breathe it in, and even days after. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks and even shorten your life.”

Both Rowan and Greater Charlotte continue to receive a grade of “F” for ozone pollution. From 2007 to 2009, Rowan had 78 orange and 8 red ozone days, which signify that the air is unhealthy. In Rowan alone, nearly 58,000 people suffer from pollution-related diseases like asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and cardiovascular disease. In the Charlotte metropolitan area, the ALA reports 56,000 children with asthma, 75,000 with chronic bronchitis and 27,000 with emphysema.

“The Center continues to educate and empower our citizens to address the air quality challenge we face,” says Wear. “It has been gratifying to see the number of organizations that want to partner with us on this important initiative. I am convinced that, together, we can help our citizens address the problem and make our air healthy for all to breathe.”