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What is the current level of air pollution in Edmond?

Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. In 2019 the population was estimated to be approximately 94,000 people which made it the 5^th largest city in the state. The city is located in Tornado Alley and is subject to frequent and severe tornadoes and hailstorms. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the most tornado-prone major cities in the world.

Looking back at the level of air quality in the middle of 2021, it can be seen that Edmond was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of just 47. This United States Air Quality Index number is an internationally used set of metrics supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is used to compare air quality in different cities throughout the world using comparable standards. It is calculated by using the levels of the six most commonly found pollutants. If figures are not all available, the figure is calculated using what information is available. The pollutants that were recorded in Edmond were that of PM2.5 which stood at 11.4 µg/m³ which is below the target figure as suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) and PM10 which was 15 µg/m³. This target figure is 10 µg/m³.

With a level as good as this, doors and windows can be opened to allow the flow of clean, fresh air into the rooms. All forms of outdoor activities can be enjoyed without fear.

Is the level of air pollution consistent throughout the year in Edmond?

Air quality can be very volatile and is affected by many factors. Looking back at the figures published by the Swiss air monitoring company, IQAir.com for 2020 it can readily be seen that for 7 months of the year Edmond attained the target figure as recommended by the “World Health Organization (WHO) which is to be less than 10 µg/m³. This was achieved from January until the end of May and again during October and November. During the months of July and December, Edmond enjoyed “Good” quality air with readings of 11 µg/m³ and 10.1 µg/m³ respectively. The remaining three months of June, August and September saw a slight decline when the air quality dropped to being “Moderate” with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

Historically, records have been kept since 2017 when the average annual figure was noted to be 8.9 µg/m³. However, since then it has been getting progressively worse, albeit very slightly with 9.6 µg/m³ for 2018, 9.7µg/m³ for 2019 and 10µg/m³ for 2020. But they are all still within the WHO target so it is acceptable.

The figure for 2020 may not be a truly accurate reflection of the situation because of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many vehicles were no longer used as the drivers were furloughed and not required to commute to and from work. There were also many factories and other non-essential production units which were temporarily closed in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus.

What are the main sources of pollution in Edmond?

There are two main types of air pollution – ambient air pollution (outdoor pollution) and household (or indoor) air pollution refers to pollution generated by household combustion of fuels (caused by burning fuel such as coal, wood or kerosene) using open fires or basic stoves in poorly ventilated spaces. Both indoor and outdoor air pollution can contribute to each other, as air moves from inside buildings to the outside, and vice versa.

On the face of it, the main sources of pollution here in Edmond seem to be from vehicles and wildfires. The World Health Organization (WHO) have identified the main categories of PM in urban air in 51 different cities around the world. On average, traffic is the biggest source of air pollution, responsible for one-quarter of particulate matter in the air.

Such sources of emissions liberate gases and substances that are toxic for human beings, the most harmful of which are: tropospheric ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), benzo (a) pyrene (BaP) and suspended particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10).

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), high levels of ozone occur when pollutants emitted by vehicles, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight. The EPA states that “ozone is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments, but can still reach high levels during colder months”.

Particle pollution, meanwhile, can be caused directly by sources, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, chimneys or fires. Particle pollution can also be emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

Smoke from large fires can increase the number of microscopic particles in the air that are dangerous when inhaled. On top of that, fire emits carbon monoxide and other chemicals that can cause hazardous ground-level ozone levels to rise.

Many of the weather-related factors relating to climate change are caused by man-made pollutants. “The science is clear, and communities across the nation are experiencing the impact of climate change, including ozone and particulate pollution. Some of the warmest temperatures on record are being currently endured and so these extreme weather patterns will just continue.

In order to enhance economic development and improve the quality of life for people, roads are built to facilitate the movement of goods and services and to make traveling more convenient and less time-consuming. The construction of these roads is however associated with environmental pollution and hazards which affects the health of the people living in the urban communities.

What can be done to lessen the effects of air pollution in Edmond?

As far back as 2014, it was decided that Edmond announced their designation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a Green Power Community, the first such designation to be conferred upon any city in the state of Oklahoma. The designation recognizes the use of renewable energy. Almost 75 percent of the energy powering the City of Edmond’s facilities is generated by wind energy technology, and The University of Central Oklahoma campus is 100 percent powered by wind energy. Together this equates to more than 26 million kilowatt-hours of clean sustainable energy.

Since then, it is estimated that over 11 percent of residents and businesses in Edmond choose to use green power as a portion of their electricity through the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, the City of Edmond continues to offer reliable and affordable renewable energy through Edmond Electric’s Pure and Simple Wind Power Program.

Wind power generates none of the ground-level ozone precursors [nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or related air pollutants (particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10) commonly associated with other forms of energy. Nationally, electric power plants are approximately co-equal with mobile sources such as cars and trucks in generating nitrogen oxides, a key chemical component of ozone air pollution.

A recently published study shows that based on the available information, that traffic (25%), organic combustion and agriculture (22%), domestic fuel burning (20%), natural dust and salt (18%), and industrial activities (15%) are the main sources of particulate matter (PM2.5) contributing to cities’ air pollution.

What detrimental effects on human health does the air in Edmond have?

Particulate matter (PM) in the air can enter the human body, affecting the cardiovascular system as well as other major organs.

According to the WHO, ambient air pollution contributed to 6.7 percent of all deaths worldwide. In particular, 16 percent of lung cancer deaths, 11 percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths, and more than 20 percent of ischaemic heart disease and stroke are associated with ambient fine particulate matter. The health effects of air pollution are serious because one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution.

Air pollution is all around us and therefore impossible to escape. Microscopic pollutants in the air can get past our body’s defenses, penetrating deep into our respiratory and circulatory system, damaging our lungs, heart and brain. They can even enter the bloodstream through the alveoli. They are tiny air sacs in the lungs that take up the oxygen you breathe in and keep your body going. There are approximately 480 million of them in the average-sized adult body. When you breathe in, the alveoli expand to take in oxygen. When you breathe out, the alveoli shrink to expel carbon dioxide.

Although microscopic, the alveoli are the center of your respiratory system’s gas exchange. The alveoli pick up the incoming energy (oxygen) you breathe in and release the outgoing waste product (carbon dioxide) you exhale. As it moves through blood vessels (capillaries) in the alveoli walls, your blood takes the oxygen from the alveoli and gives off carbon dioxide.

The alveoli are just one cell in thickness, which allows the gas exchange of respiration to take place rapidly. The wall of an alveolus and the wall of a capillary are each about 0.00004 inches (0.0001 centimeters). Thus it can easily be understood they can rapidly become damaged if contaminated by PM2.5 pollutants.

What were the findings of the 2020 ‘State of the Air’ Report in Edmond?

According to the American Lung Association’s annual air quality report, Oklahoma City’s air quality is no longer on the list of cleanest cities. The 2020 “State of the Air” report found Oklahoma had earned poorer rankings for the nation’s most widespread air pollutants, ozone and particle pollution, both of which can be deadly. It was stated that Oklahoma now fails to meet the desired standards for air quality.

Each year, the “State of the Air” provides a report card on the two most widespread outdoor air pollutants, ozone pollution, also known as smog, and particle pollution also called soot.

Both ozone and particle pollution are dangerous to public health and can increase the risk of premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, cardiovascular damage and developmental and reproductive harm. Particle pollution could also cause lung cancer and new research links air pollution to the development of serious cognitive diseases, such as Parkinson’s and dementia.

“Breathing ozone-polluted air can trigger asthma attacks in both adults and children, which can result in a visit to the doctor’s surgery or hospital. Ozone can even shorten people’s lives.” This report specifies that warmer temperatures brought on by climate change are making ozone more likely to form and harder to eliminate. Significantly more people suffered unhealthy ozone pollution in the 2020 report than in the last three “State of the Air” reports.

Annual particle pollution had recently dropped which was mainly attributed to the retirement of dirty old diesel-powered vehicles and the clean-up of the coal-fired powered plants.

Short-term spikes were seen to be occurring more often due to the spring-time wildfires which drastically increased the level of fine particle pollutants and extreme heat endured during the summer months helped push the ozone levels higher than usual.

Air monitoring stations across the state recorded some of the highest numbers in modern history on the Air Quality Index (AQI). The EPA uses that measure to rank each day, taking into account the most common air pollutants, such as ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.

Weather plays a large role in creating ozone, which is a big part of smog. Emissions from vehicle tailpipes, factories, refineries and power plants are big contributors, too. Those emissions plus heat and sunlight equal ground-level ozone. That’s why smog is usually worse in the summer months. In Oklahoma, ozone monitoring peaks from April through November.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued new stricter limits on ground-level ozone. The ozone rules were introduced after their controversial Clean Power Plan and proposed restrictions on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry.

Industry and state officials were worried the EPA would be swayed by the environmentalists and set the ground-level ozone standard to 65 parts per billion, which would likely mean all 77 counties in Oklahoma would be out of attainment. Eventually, a figure of 70 parts per million was introduced which was considered to be more attainable.