Air pollution report gives Suffolk mixed grades on ozone, particles
Smoke and haze in Carle Place in 2023. The changing climate is making wildfires more likely, affecting air quality, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Suffolk County’s report card on air pollution is one of extremes, according to a new report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association, though it doesn't include Long Island data from days when wildfire smoke covered the region.
It received an A rating for having no days with high particle pollution between 2021 and 2023 but an F for 29 days with high ozone levels.
The report does not include specifics on air pollution in Nassau County, because that is considered part of the metropolitan region, according to staffers of the organization.
Queens, however, earned an F in both categories for 18 high ozone days and seven high-particle pollution days.
The report said 156 million Americans live in locations with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. That’s 25 million more than last year and the highest in any report in a decade.
Fine particulate matter and ozone are "two of the most widespread and dangerous pollutants" of the six regulated by the federal Clean Air Act, according to the State of the Air report. The other four are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead.
In the decades since the Clean Air Act was passed, emissions of those pollutants from sources like sulfur in diesel truck exhaust, heavy duty construction equipment and power plants have dropped by 78%. But climate change has chipped away at some of that progress, said Michael Seilback, assistant vice president of nationwide advocacy for the American Lung Association, who also lives in Suffolk County.
"The changing climate is making wildfires more likely and larger because of drier, warmer summers mixed with extreme weather," he said.
Finalized data from the wildfire days on Long Island still isn't available, though it's expected to be reflected in next year's report, Seilback said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, particulate matter is a "mixture of solid particle and liquid droplets" that can include dust, dirt, soot or smoke.
Ozone pollution is created when emissions from vehicles, power plants, chemical plants and other sources react in the presence of sunlight, the EPA said. It generally reaches unhealthy levels on hot days.
These types of air pollution can be hazardous to people with asthma and other health conditions. But it is also potentially dangerous for people who are healthy, said Dr. Sharad Chandrika, director of interventional pulmonology at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip.
"The damage caused by ozone and the particulate matter is cumulative," Chandrika said. "We know that lung function declines about 1% to 2% every year after the age of 25, which may not sound like much, but that adds up over the course of a lifetime."
People should get into the habit of checking the air quality every day, the same way they check the weather forecast, said Dr. Jacqueline Moline, senior vice president of occupational medicine, epidemiology and prevention at Northwell Health.
An air quality forecast "gives you a daily snapshot of how you should go about your day and what you should limit," she said.
Babies, young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to air pollution and should try to stay inside, she said.
"Ozone is a respiratory irritant for many people ... those with asthma, people with cardiac conditions, young children and the elderly," Moline said.
She said with both ozone and particulate matter, the heart has to work harder. People with cardiovascular disease need to be careful.
Suffolk County’s report card on air pollution is one of extremes, according to a new report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association, though it doesn't include Long Island data from days when wildfire smoke covered the region.
It received an A rating for having no days with high particle pollution between 2021 and 2023 but an F for 29 days with high ozone levels.
The report does not include specifics on air pollution in Nassau County, because that is considered part of the metropolitan region, according to staffers of the organization.
Queens, however, earned an F in both categories for 18 high ozone days and seven high-particle pollution days.
The report said 156 million Americans live in locations with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. That’s 25 million more than last year and the highest in any report in a decade.
Fine particulate matter and ozone are "two of the most widespread and dangerous pollutants" of the six regulated by the federal Clean Air Act, according to the State of the Air report. The other four are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead.
In the decades since the Clean Air Act was passed, emissions of those pollutants from sources like sulfur in diesel truck exhaust, heavy duty construction equipment and power plants have dropped by 78%. But climate change has chipped away at some of that progress, said Michael Seilback, assistant vice president of nationwide advocacy for the American Lung Association, who also lives in Suffolk County.
"The changing climate is making wildfires more likely and larger because of drier, warmer summers mixed with extreme weather," he said.
Finalized data from the wildfire days on Long Island still isn't available, though it's expected to be reflected in next year's report, Seilback said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, particulate matter is a "mixture of solid particle and liquid droplets" that can include dust, dirt, soot or smoke.
Ozone pollution is created when emissions from vehicles, power plants, chemical plants and other sources react in the presence of sunlight, the EPA said. It generally reaches unhealthy levels on hot days.
These types of air pollution can be hazardous to people with asthma and other health conditions. But it is also potentially dangerous for people who are healthy, said Dr. Sharad Chandrika, director of interventional pulmonology at Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip.
"The damage caused by ozone and the particulate matter is cumulative," Chandrika said. "We know that lung function declines about 1% to 2% every year after the age of 25, which may not sound like much, but that adds up over the course of a lifetime."
People should get into the habit of checking the air quality every day, the same way they check the weather forecast, said Dr. Jacqueline Moline, senior vice president of occupational medicine, epidemiology and prevention at Northwell Health.
An air quality forecast "gives you a daily snapshot of how you should go about your day and what you should limit," she said.
Babies, young children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to air pollution and should try to stay inside, she said.
"Ozone is a respiratory irritant for many people ... those with asthma, people with cardiac conditions, young children and the elderly," Moline said.
She said with both ozone and particulate matter, the heart has to work harder. People with cardiovascular disease need to be careful.
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
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