Pittsburgh is decades beyond a time when the city’s air was so polluted and dark that streetlights were turned on at midday. Because of booming industry, the rivers and soil were also polluted. We may not have such obvious reminders of the region’s polluted past, but where are we now? And, importantly, how does the current environment affect our health?
The Pittsburgh area is, in general, less polluted. In terms of air pollution, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) monitors the air as required by the Environmental Protection Agency. All of the monitors across our area show steady downward trends in recent years. Jane Clougherty, ScD, assistant professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health, has been working with ACHD to monitor fine particles in and around downtown Pittsburgh. According to Dr. Clougherty, the question of Pittsburgh’s air quality can be a tricky one.
“It’s better than it was decades ago,” she says. “We do have substantial air pollution that’s worth understanding better. The air quality in the city depends on where you are and when you’re there. There are different kinds of air pollutants—particles, gases, gases that turn into particles, and so on. They have different chemical profiles depending on the mix of chemicals, how they’re interacting and what the weather is.”
Dr. Clougherty explains that the region still struggles with large sources of pollution. The region is still downwind of emissions from big power plants in the Ohio Valley. Coke works and steel mills are still at work in the area. Like every city, Pittsburgh has a lot of traffic. The more traffic idles and gets stuck in certain areas, the more the concentrations of particles build up.
Poor air quality is a concern because it can lead to respiratory problems like asthma, heart problems and even cancer.
Some people think staying indoors will reduce their air pollution exposure. Unfortunately, there are many air pollution sources indoors. Cooking on a stovetop, burning candles and smoking put pollutants into the air. There are metals in water that become part of the air pollution in the home. People track pollutants indoors when they don’t remove their shoes. Air inside homes doesn’t move as much as it does outdoors. People are also spending more time indoors.
Even if the region’s air quality has been getting better, Dr. Clougherty has a few recommendations for ways for people to try to protect themselves. She says, “As possible, heed air pollution warnings in the summer, like air quality action days. It’s better for people’s health if they’re not exercising outdoors or allowing children to be outside during those days. If you’re exercising outside anytime, try not to do it on a heavily trafficked road. Spending time in parks and other ‘clean air’ places is a great thing to do. The simplest way to not contribute to the problem is to drive less. When people are in a vehicle, they are highly exposed. Air pollution seeps into cars, regardless of whether or not the windows are open. So, driving less means contributing less to the problem and being less exposed. Although most buses have higher emissions output than cars, because they carry more people, the per person emissions are much, much lower.”
Though air quality has been a traditional concern for Pittsburgh, other environmental health issues do exist. Our rivers are cleaner than they were in the past. But we are a large area with an older sewer system. Combined sewer overflow (when there’s too much rain or snow melt, and the extra funnels into waterways) still causes water pollution. Because of the region’s heavy industrial past, we sometimes have areas with toxins, such as lead, in the soil. Lead in the soil also comes from old paint chipping off of houses. Testing soil before planting a garden is wise so people know how safe food coming from their yard is.
Environmental health concerns may seem overwhelming. But Dr. Clougherty pinpoints a few areas on which to focus. She says, “The way to think about most environmental exposures is in tiny amounts, day by day, that add up over time. The other way to think about it is vulnerable periods. There are windows where people are going to be both highly exposed and possibly more likely to be affected by environmental hazards. For instance, plastic is of concern to children because they put everything in their mouths. Their systems are developing. They have smaller bodies. Try to buy Bisphenol A (BPA)-free plastic for children when you can. Use a water filtration device in the home and change the filter regularly. Save money for buying organic food that doesn’t need to be peeled (like berries or apples). Always use the stove’s exhaust fan when cooking.”
“Doing certain things in your life to keep you and your kids healthy, like eating nutritious food, getting enough sleep, enough exercise, managing stress and quitting smoking, will make you less susceptible to whatever else you come in contact with. Just do the best you can,” says Dr. Clougherty.
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