Air Pollution in Oregon

Oregon

In 2014, air pollution was responsible for 100,000 to 200,000 untimely deaths in the United States. Particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less (PM10) poses a risk to human health because it can penetrate deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream. Exposure to fine particle air pollution has been linked to heart and lung problems, including decreased lung function, asthma, irregular heartbeat and heart attack.

The health and environmental benefits of lowering air pollution are significant. Studies have shown that decreasing the concentration of fine particulates in the air leads to lower risk of all-cause mortality, lung cancer and death from cardiovascular disease.

Exposure to air pollution is higher among:

• Low-income communities.
• Urban areas compared with rural areas. 
• Black, Asian and Hispanic populations compared with white and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. 

Certain populations are also more vulnerable to health risks from air pollution, including: 

• Individuals with preexisting heart or respiratory conditions.
• Older adults.
• Children and infants.
• Pregnant women.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the Clean Air Act prevented an estimated 200,000 heart attacks, 2.4 million asthma attacks and 17 million lost workdays in 2020. The EPA finalized a Clean Air Act (CAA) rule in 2024 to reduce methane and other harmful emissions from oil and natural gas operations, establishing New Source Performance Standards for new facilities and Emissions Guidelines requiring states to develop plans for existing sources. This rule could save an estimated $4.5 billion a year and reduce toxic air pollutants by 480,000 tons. However, in 2025, the EPA delayed several compliance deadlines, which is expected to postpone some of the pollution reductions originally anticipated under the 2024 standards.

Individuals can reduce their contribution to air pollution by reducing their fossil fuel consumption or taking part in local energy conservation programs. You can limit your own exposure to air pollution by:

• Monitoring local air quality at www.AirNow.gov and staying indoors as much as possible on days with poor air quality. 
• Avoiding long periods of strenuous exercise near busy streets and on days with poor air quality.
• Using an air purifier in your home or office space to filter out particles from the outdoors.

Healthy People 2030 has multiple objectives focused on promoting healthier environments, including: 

• Reducing the number of days people are exposed to unhealthy air. 
• Reducing toxic airborne emissions.
• Increasing the use of public transportation among commuters.

Jbaily, Abdulrahman, Xiaodan Zhou, Jie Liu, Ting-Hwan Lee, Leila Kamareddine, Stéphane Verguet, and Francesca Dominici. “Air Pollution Exposure Disparities across US Population and Income Groups.” Nature 601, no. 7892 (January 13, 2022): 228–33. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04190-y.

Pope III, C. Arden, Majid Ezzati, and Douglas W. Dockery. “Fine-Particulate Air Pollution and Life Expectancy in the United States.” New England Journal of Medicine 360, no. 4 (January 22, 2009): 376–86. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa0805646.

Strosnider, Heather, Caitlin Kennedy, Michele Monti, and Fuyuen Yip. “Rural and Urban Differences in Air Quality, 2008–2012, and Community Drinking Water Quality, 2010–2015 — United States.” MMWR. Surveillance Summaries 66, no. 13 (June 23, 2017): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6613a1.

Thakrar, Sumil K., Srinidhi Balasubramanian, Peter J. Adams, Inês M. L. Azevedo, Nicholas Z. Muller, Spyros N. Pandis, Stephen Polasky, et al. “Reducing Mortality from Air Pollution in the United States by Targeting Specific Emission Sources.” Environmental Science & Technology Letters 7, no. 9 (September 8, 2020): 639–45.https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00424.