Pollution

A comprehensive new analysis states that residents in more than a dozen U.S. cities, including Chicago, will enjoy significantly fewer healthy air days in coming summers as hotter temperatures caused by global warming speed formation of smog. That means more people will have to restrict outdoor activities, while those with asthma and other respiratory troubles face life-threatening conditions.

Northeastern Illinois is designated as a “non-attainment area” for smog, or ground-level ozone, by the federal government. This designation means that the region has too many days with unhealthy levels of pollution. Ozone is a product of combining volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides, and close to 40% of VOC emissions come from motor vehicles. Typical sources for these particular emissions include inefficient “stop and go” congestion, excessive idling, vapor escape, and fuel spills.

Heightened smog levels trigger asthma attacks and pose other health threats, to children and the elderly in particular. Increased smog can result in coughing, shortness of breath, pain when breathing, lung and eye irritation, decreased lung capacity, and greater susceptibility to respiratory illnesses in healthy people. For people with asthma, smog pollution can increase sensitivity to allergens. Repeated exposure to ozone pollution may cause permanent lung damage, and even at low levels, ozone triggers a variety of health problems including increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis.