Is Smog Making You Sick?

Smog: We all hate it, but does it really hurt us? The short answer is, "Yes, it does." It's very likely that even short-term exposure to smog can lead to premature death, which was the conclusion reached by the National Academy of Sciences' panel after an extensive review of relevant studies. The report was completed in April, 2008, at the request of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ground-level smog, that yellow haze that hangs in the air, is a pollutant that affects the air we breathe. Emissions from our cars, trucks, power plants, and factories produce smog. Studies have shown that exposure to smog causes thousands of deaths per year, and that on particularly smoggy days there are more deaths and more admissions to hospitals for respiratory diseases and heart attacks.

Smog is a leading cause of respiratory illness. Ozone, a major component of smog, is created when emission gases react to sunlight and heat. Strong sunlight and hot temperatures in summer months can produce harmful concentrations of ozone in the air we breathe. So active adults and children playing outside in the summer heat need to be especially careful. Children are particularly at risk on smoggy summer days because their lungs have not yet fully developed. Even at low concentrations, ozone can aggravate asthma in children. Smog also increases susceptibility to illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. The elderly, and anyone with heart or lung problems, will be particularly sensitive to ozone and smog.

The National Academy of Sciences panel found that deaths from smog are not restricted to high-risk groups. From its review of health-based data, the 13-member panel of scientific experts also found that even short-term exposure of 24 hours or less can exacerbate lung conditions, causing illness, hospitalization, and potential death. They stated that further research is needed to determine the effects of chronic long-term exposure.

The researchers were unable to determine at what level we could be assured there would be no deaths from smog, but they did agree that the level would have to be somewhere below the level now allowed by public health guidelines.

A step toward cleaner air was taken in March 2008 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when they toughened standards concerning what level of ozone is to be allowable in the air; that is, the amount of smog a person can safely breathe. The new limits will take effect in two years, and states will be required to come up with pollution reducing plans.

There's continuing controversy between the Bush administration and the private sector over the influence smog plays in the well-being of the nation's population and what value should be placed on cleaning up the atmosphere.
The Bush administration consistently downplays the connection between smog and premature death according to Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, a Washington-based advocacy organization.