Clean Air for the Triad Area: An Action Agenda

Health risks of the Triad's air

The Triad is the only region in North Carolina that exceeds federal health standards for both soot (particle pollution) and smog (ozone pollution), the two types of air pollution that post the greatest risks to human health.
Air pollution carries serious health risks including asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease and premature death.
The American Lung Association estimates that about 65,000 adults and 27,000 children in the Triad suffer from asthma.
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 25 percent of 7th and 8th graders in the Forsyth and Guilford County Schools suffered from asthma and/or asthma-like symptoms.
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.