History of Air Pollution

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EPA's Air, Climate, and Energy Research is at the forefront of air pollution research to protect public health and the environment. The research is providing the scientific foundation for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, states and communities to make decisions to effectively reduce and control air pollution.

Then

In October 1948, Donora, Pa., was enveloped in a lethal haze.

Over five days, nearly half of the town's 14,000 residents experienced severe respiratory or cardiovascular problems. It was difficult to breathe. The death toll rose to nearly 40.

Disturbing photos show Donora's streets hidden under a thick blanket of gray smog. A warm air pocket had passed high above the town, trapping cooler air below and sealing in pollutants.

Donora was no stranger to pollution. Steel and zinc smelters had long plagued the town with dirty air. But the air pocket left pollutants with no escape route. They sat stewing in the streets, where residents breathed them in lethal doses.

The situation in Donora was extreme, but it reflected a trend. Air pollution had become a harsh consequence of industrial growth across the country and world.

Crises like Donora's were widely publicized; people took notice and began to act.

Scientists started investigating the link between air pollution and health. States began passing legislation to reduce air pollution. And in 1970, a milestone year, Congress passed the Clean Air Act Amendments which led to the establishment of the nation's air quality standards.

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Now

Today, policymakers and air quality managers rely on cutting-edge science to establish regulations and make management decisions to reduce and control air pollution with cost-effective approaches.

EPA's Air, Climate, and Energy Research conducts a vast amount of this research, producing findings and developing technology vital to our understanding of air pollution. For the most common pollutants, the research is compiled and synthesized every five years by EPA scientists to assess the adequacy of air regulations.

EPA seeks to identify specific chemicals as well as specific sources (like cars, trucks and power plants) that can impact air quality. A major goal is to pinpoint the sources most responsible for health risks.

For example, EPA studies have shown that tiny particles released when gas, oil and other fossil fuels are burned harm the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. We now know that these particles are especially harmful to the most vulnerable populations: the young, older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions.

The research program provides an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to the air pollution problem. Renowned EPA scientists, engineers and physicians work together and partner with scientific experts across the United States and worldwide to address the many challenges of air quality management.

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Car Emissions

Future Directions

Major strides have been made to improve air quality, but many complex scientific questions remain, calling for innovative and novel research.

It has become increasingly clear that multiple pollutants play a role in determining risks to people and the environment. EPA is moving forward with a "multipollutant" approach to air pollution research. It is crucial to understand the collective impacts of multiple air pollutants, how they interact in the atmosphere and whether the interactions modify health effects. EPA's Air, Climate, and Energy Research has already spearheaded interdisciplinary efforts to study combinations of multiple pollutants more extensively.

Research has linked regulated air pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter (PM) to lung and heart disease and other health problems. More investigation is needed to further understand the role poor air quality plays on health and disease and support development of more sustainable and integrated air quality management strategies. The findings are supporting the review of the nation's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

EPA is also pursuing an understanding of how climate change and air quality interact and the consequences for public health and the environment. EPA scientists have already provided evidence that future temperature increases will increase air pollution levels in some regions of the country. What's more, urban areas already suffering from pollution problems may incur the greatest burden of these changes.

Advancements in air sensor monitoring technology is providing new lower-cost devices to help air quality managers, communities and citizens with understanding air quality. EPA researchers are at the forefront of the development and evaluation of air sensor monitors.

EPA will continue investigations of how climate change will impact the air we breathe, with a focus on protecting current and future generations from air pollution health risks.

Resources:

Air Research

Climate Change Research 

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