Air quality in Colorado Springs

How good is the air quality in Colorado Springs?

The City of Colorado Springs is the county seat and the most populous municipality of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is situated in east-central Colorado, on Fountain Creek, 97 kilometres south of Denver. The city had an estimated population of 478,221 in 2019, and a metro population of approximately 738,939, making it Colorado's second most populous city, behind Denver.

The main source of income comes from its links with the military followed by high-tech industry and finally from tourism.

The early part of 2021 brought “Moderate” quality air to Colorado Springs with a US AQI figure of 56. This classification is in line with the recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The recorded concentration of PM2.5 was 14.5 µg/m³. With this sort of level, it is recommended to close doors and windows to prevent the ingress of dirty air into the rooms and those of a sensitive disposition should avoid venturing outside unless it is absolutely unavoidable.

Does the air quality in Colorado Springs vary throughout the year?

By studying the latest data from 2020, it can be seen that Colorado Springs enjoyed some “Good” quality air with an average figure of just 6 µg/m³. This is well below the WHO target figure of 10 µg/m³ or less. It achieved the target figure for 10 months of the year, the exception being in August and September when the quality was classed as “Good” with readings between 10 and 12 µg/m³.

When compared to previous years, the air quality seems to remain at around the same level. In 2017 the number recorded was 6 µg/m³, in 2018 it was 6.2 µg/m³. 2019 saw a very good figure of just 4.5 µg/m³ and a slight worsening for 2020 with a figure of 6 µg/m³.

Does Colorado Springs have good air quality?

Colorado Springs has an air quality index of 88.3 per cent which is less than the national average which is 89.2 per cent. It has better quality air than in Denver which is just to the north but beyond the Palmer Divide which seems to prevent the polluted air from contaminating Colorado Springs. This makes it a good city of choice for those who are sensitive to poor air.

In 2019, the American Lung Association released its annual report which published the fact that Colorado Springs was in the top 20 when clean air is being considered.

Where does the air pollution in Colorado Springs come from?

Primarily, air pollution comes from across the border where wildfires blaze in California. This increase the levels of ozone (O₃) and PM2.5 and PM10.

The air pollution that people in Colorado Springs inhale on a daily basis comes from a myriad of sources: factories, vehicle emissions, buildings and homes, as well as fossil fuel power generating facilities.

Fossil fuel producers in Colorado which are part of the expanding oil and gas industry that runs more than 53,000 wells across the state together with processing facilities, storage and pipelines have emerged collectively as a major polluter, emitting about 15.6 million tons a year into the atmosphere.

Ozone causes problems for individuals with respiratory issues such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, but when levels get high enough, everybody starts to feel it. Fine particulates such as those found in wildfire smoke are tiny particles that can penetrate deeply into the lungs where they can eventually enter the bloodstream. One of the bigger problems with them is that even if you go inside, you may have trouble escaping them. They can work their way through little cracks under doors and windows.

Is anything being done to improve the air quality in Colorado Springs?

Some companies have committed to closing coal-burning power-plant units in Colorado sooner than once planned. More solar and wind generation units are being added to the system. Two out of three units at the coal-fired Comanche power plant east of Pueblo, Colorado’s single biggest industrial polluter, will be shut down by 2025.

Greenhouse gases that force climate change such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (NO_x), methane (CH₄), chlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons make up the bulk of Colorado’s 125 million tons of air pollution each year. Records show that 36 per cent which equates to approximately 46 million tons comes from 119 large industrial units which include 35 power stations. More than 50 per cent of Colorado’s energy still comes from coal, even though a clean-up campaign was held over a decade ago which promised to look at alternatives.

In 2007 the Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency has the power to regulate greenhouse pollution in a view to reduce emissions. These reductions are intended to cut 125 million tons down to 62 million tons by 2030 and 13 million tons by 2050.

They also emit hazardous chemicals which include toxins that cause cancer and serious health problems, including thousands of tons of sulphur dioxide, benzene, hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide, perchloroethylene and others. Add to this tens of thousands of tons of particulates, which can cause heart and lung problems.

How is human health affected by the poor air quality in Colorado Springs?

Air quality can affect human health in a variety of different ways. It can irritate the nose and throat which causes coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. There can sometimes be a feeling of tightness in and around the chest. Pre-existing respiratory conditions will be exacerbated as the severity of asthma, bronchitis and emphysema increase. The risk of having a heart attack or a stroke increases and it has been proven to contribute to premature births and low birth weights.

Anybody can suffer from the effects of poor air quality, but it affects some differently. Children under the age of 14 years are particularly susceptible as are senior citizens and people with known respiratory conditions.

The health effects of air pollution depend on how much pollution a person is exposed to. This is determined by the amount of pollution in the air and the length of time a person is exposed to it. And the amount of air a person breathes in (for example, a runner breathes in more air than someone walking) also plays an important role.

Air pollution tends to be more severe in cities, but high levels of air pollution can be found anywhere.