Clean Air for the Charlotte Area: An Action Agenda

Health risks of Charlotte's air

On April 15, 2004 the greater Charlotte metropolitan area was designated as a nonattainment area under the EPA’s ozone requirements. This means that, based on data from air quality monitors through the region, EPA found that the Charlotte area was not meeting the national health-based air quality standard for ozone, putting the health of area residents at risk.
Air pollution carries serious health risks including asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease and premature death.
Recent research in 95 large urban areas, including Charlotte, found that short-term increases in ozone concentrations were associated with increased death rates the following week.
The American Lung Association estimates that over 130,000 Charlotte residents suffer from asthma, about one-third of them children.
Because their lungs are still developing, children are the most vulnerable to asthma. In fact, evidence shows that ozone exposure can actually cause active children in highly polluted areas to develop the disease.
In a 1999-2000 study, about 10 percent of 7th and 8th graders in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools suffered from asthma and another 18 percent suffer from undiagnosed wheezing or other symptoms associated with asthma.
Asthma accounts for an estimated 14.5 million lost work days each year nationwide and costs a total of about $16 billion annually in direct health care expenses and indirect costs including lost productivity.
In North Carolina, approximately $100 million is spent annually on caring for children with asthma.
Particle pollution, consisting of tiny solids and liquid droplets of acids, chemicals, metals and dust released by power plants and other industrial sources, has been linked to increased lung cancer mortality and an increased risk of cardiovascular health problems, including irregular heartbeats, heart failure and cardiovascular mortality.