s5. air quality-air quality slide deck.pptx
TRANSCRIPT
Air Quality InquiryWeek 1
In the News:
Air Pollution:Gases and particulate matter in the air that can cause harm to living organisms or the physical environment.
Air Quality Inquiry
Primary air pollutants which pose health risks:
• Carbon monoxide• Volatile organic compounds• Particulate matter• Sulfur dioxide• Nitrogen oxides
Air Quality Inquiry
Secondary air pollutants mix together and react with sunlight to form new compounds• Example: Ozone
Air Quality Inquiry
Criteria pollutants monitored by the U.S. EPA:
• Ozone• Lead• Sulfur dioxide
• Carbon monoxide• Nitrogen dioxide• Particulate Matter
Air Quality Inquiry
Particulate Matter:• Complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets
• Primary particles: emitted directly from a source
• Secondary particles: form from reactions in the atmosphere
Air Quality Inquiry
• Particulate Matter• Particles 10µm in diameter or smaller are particularly harmful; can enter the lungs
• PM 10: Inhalable coarse particles near roadways, dusty industries
• PM 2.5: Fine particles (smoke and haze)
Air Quality Inquiry
Air Quality I ndex (AQI ) Values
Levels of Health Concern
Colors
When the AQI is in this range:
..air quality conditions are:
...as symbolized by this color:
0-50 Good Green 51-100 Moderate Yellow 101-150 Unhealthy for
Sensitive Groups Orange
151 to 200 Unhealthy Red 201 to 300 Very Unhealthy Purple 301 to 500 Hazardous Maroon
Monitored at more than 1,000 locations across the U.S.
AQI: Air Quality Index
For the month of July 2012, Los Angeles, California reported an average daily Air Quality Index (AQI) of 158.
For this same month, Chicago, Illinois reported an average daily AQI of 142.
Which city appears to have the greater amount of air pollution? What do you think might be the cause of this difference?
Think & Discuss
How is air quality linked to health?
What effect do you think air quality has on quality of life in affected areas?
Think & Discuss
Examples of health impacts of air pollution:
• Cardiovascular problems• Cancer• Slow growth• Changes in fertility & pregnancy outcomes• Obesity• Diabetes• Respiratory ailments
Air Quality Inquiry
What do we mean by Health Disparities?
• Inequalities in health status connected to social or economic factors
• Negative health outcomes disproportionately affecting certain groups which have historically experienced discrimination or exclusion
- From Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Air Quality Inquiry
How might Air Quality be related to Health Disparities?
• Locations of factories relative to low-income housing
• Traffic patterns & public transportation
• Sources of indoor air pollution in housing or workplaces
Air Quality Inquiry
How should researchers investigate discrepancies in air quality across racial or socioeconomic lines?
Think & Discuss
Health Disparities in the Twin Cities
Link to MPR News story
Data Map: Wilder Research
Life Expectancy by county:
Minneapolis: The Phillips Neighborhood
• High concentration of low income & minority children in MN
• Site of a foundry, asphalt plant, roofing hot tar storage & asphalt hot-mix storage facility
• A new wood-burning power plant proposed: would add PM, VOCs to already existing air pollution in the neighborhood.
Do you think the legislation regarding the Phillips Neighborhood in Minneapolis is justified?
Think & Discuss
Should current air quality be taken into account when choosing where to locate new sources of pollution?
What was the response to the proposed power plant development?
In groups:
Discuss your assigned issue as outlined in the article about East St. Louis. How do these issues contribute to poor air quality and related health problems? Where do you see disparities?
Group 1: Asthma: suspected causes
Group 2: Industry
Group 3: Pollutants emitted in East St. Louis area
Group 4: Housing
Group 5: Poverty
Group 6: Asthma: prevalence & disparities
Jigsaw Reading Activity
Instructions:
As a group, compile a document with 5 – 10 take-home messages from your section of the reading.
You’ll return to your group to share what you have learned.
Group 1: Early Toxicology and its Impact on Public Sentiment Toward Air Pollution
Group 2: Sections on Particulate Matter
Group 3: Toxicology Establishes Biological Plausibility for Epidemiologic Findings; Cardiovascular Effects; Potential Systemic Effects Revealed by Toxicological Research
Group 4: Ozone
Jigsaw Reading Activity
What are some known health effects of air pollution?
What may be some yet unknown consequences of air pollution?
How does air pollution affect different groups in disproportionate ways?
Discussion: What have we learned?
Where do we know health disparities exist related to air pollution?
• In Minnesota?• Other places in the United
States?• Other places in the world?
Discussion: What have we learned?
• Mining EPA AirData
• Big data set: delete unnecessary fields
• Complete today: The Phillips Neighborhood Example
Brainstorm your own research questions
Air Quality Inquiry:Getting Started
Air Quality InquiryWeek 2
Air Quality: Review
The Phillips Neighborhood Example:
• What are the air quality issues in this part of Minneapolis?
• Based on your research, has air quality changed over time?
Air Quality: Using EPA AirData
Mining AirData for your own research
Potentially useful data fields:Parameter NameDateUnits of Measure & Arithmetic MeanDuration Description & Observation CountFirst Maximum ValueAQI
Air Quality: Using EPA AirData
Tips:• Identify the data fields that will
help you investigate your question
• Sort data, hide or delete unnecessary fields
• Consider which data set will give you the information you need: Annual or Daily?
Report: Individual Assignment
• Rubric posted on course website• Cite any outside sources used• Due Friday, May 2
Air Quality Homework