Here’s Which Mass. Counties Have the Cleanest and Dirtiest Air
Bad news, beachgoers: the sea breezes on Martha’s Vineyard may be less restorative than you think. An American Lung Association study released on Wednesday indicated that ozone pollution in some Massachusetts counties is far from healthy.
Dukes County, which includes Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands, tied with Bristol Countyfor the worst air quality in the state. They both scored an ‘F’.
This may come as a surprise to those who enjoy the area’s seemingly clean summer air.
Elena Craft, a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, said fuel emissions during hot summer days cou ld be part of the problem, but it’s important to keep in mind that just because air pollution exists in an area, that doesn’t mean it originated there.
“Around coastal areas, weather has an effect,’’ Craft said. “It can move pollution around. It could be coming from other places but just happens that the area in question has higher concentrations.’’
Casey Harvell, Director of Public Policy with the American Lung Association, said that there’s a strong second-hand effect at play.
“It can be carried downwind from the source,’’ said Harvell. “We see jetstreams come through New England and over the water, so we’re getting ozone from other parts of the country.’’
Bristol County, comprised of suburban towns south of Boston, also got an ‘F’ from the study. Home to old factory towns like Fall River and Taunton, its population density is high and 82 percent commute to work via car.
In the study, the American Lung Association looked at data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and counted how many days over a three-year period had levels of ozone concentration that were too high. The study gave added weight to days of severe levels of ozone, because one day at hazardous levels can cause more damage than a few that are just slightly over the mark.
No county in the state made an ‘A,’ but crew teams on the Charles River may be breathing easy, depending which side they’re sculling on. Middlesex County, in which Cambridge falls, received a ‘B’ rating, the best in Massachusetts.
Berkshire County’s mountain air also got a ‘B’ in the study.
There was also no Massachusetts representation on the ALA’s list of cleanest cities for ozone air pollution, though, to be fair, Massachusetts cities didn’t rank among the worst, either.
How important is this data? Not only is ozone bad for the environment, but poor air quality can have some pretty dire effects on health. It can cause respiratory irritation by inflaming airways that make it difficult to breathe deeply. The EPA reported increases in asthma attacks, hospital admissions, and other morbidity markers correlated with high ozone levels.
Before calling the movers and packing up boxes, there are a few things you can do to improve the quality of air where you live.
The study provided several suggestions for bettering air quality on both personal and policy levels. You can reduce your carbon footprint by using your car less, or, on a grander scale, supporting anti-pollutions laws, according to the American Lung Association.
The cleanest city in the country for ozone pollution was Bellingham, Washington. And, although our basketball teams are rivals, we have a definitive edge over Los Angeles when it comes to clean air; they ranked worst in the nation.
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