Air Quality

1. Where I can check the air quality in my city?
EPA's AIRNow website provides updates and information about ozone and particulate levels in communities across the country. For a longer term assessment of air quality, see the American Lung Association's State of the Air report.
2. In the fight against global warming, the EPA is now classifying the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) as an air pollutant, but how is it harming my health?
Allergies: CO2 is an essential nutrient for plants and the more of it there is in the air, the more pollen produced. Most fall hay fever is brought on by ragweed pollen. Research at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Crop Systems and Global Change Lab has shown that ragweed grown at CO2 concentrations found in the 1850s produced half the pollen of ragweed grown in the CO2 concentrations found in 1999. WIth the CO2 levels projected for 2050 levels, pollen production will double again.
Not only are pollen levels increasing, but the alergy seasons are lengthening. Tree pollen fuels spring allergies, while grasses are responsible for most summer allergies. Trees and grasses are releasing pollen earlier in the year, kick-starting an allergy season that spans weeks longer than before.
Disease: If that weren't problem enough, climate change also encourages species migration. This not only brings more allergenic plants to new areas, but also disease-bearing insects such as mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever, West Nile virus and yellow fever. These mosquitoes are now found in 28 U.S. states and as temperatures and humidity rise, they are projected to extend their range. Increases in temperature and humidity also allow the dengue fever virus to develop more quickly, causing a rise in the infection rate. While DEET is effective in keeping away mosquitoes, greenhouse gas reductions are needed to keep these and other diseases from expanding their reach.

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