On June 7th of 2023 the air quality in New York reached an unprecedented low for the US. Which was caused by Wildfires happening in nearby Canadian forests. Researchers say that New Yorkers were exposed to levels of pollution more than five times above the national air quality standard on that day.
Marshall Burke, a researcher at Stanford illustrates the severity of the situation when he explained that his team were so stunned, they had to quadruple check their findings. This is due to the fact that the country has not even seen something coming close to this predicament since collecting data on smoke pollution started in 2006.
The biggest concern is that in this pollution there are micrograms that when inhaled can cause respiratory problems and diseases, such as bronchitis, lung cancer, pneumonia, leukemia, and many more. That is why New Yorkers were highly urged to stay inside by Health Officials and informed that it would be best to turn on an air purifier and close the fresh air intake on their air conditioners to prevent outside air from contaminating their homes.
The composition of wildfire smoke. Credit: Jen Burgess/IsolineStudios for BC Centre for Disease Control.
This catastrophic event placed over 70 million US residents under air quality alerts, leaving many wondering what measures the government takes to prevent similar situations.
Fortunately, the United States of America has the Clean Air Act which is the federal law that regulates air emissions. The Act put the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in charge of setting and enforcing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
The NAAQS focus on the 6 air pollutants and the specific maximums for the amount of carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide allowed in each state's air.
To enforce the NAAQS in every state it is a requirement for states to create State Implementation Plans which details how the state gets their air to the national air quality standards. These plans are then reviewed by EPA and if they are denied the state will either be assisted by EPA in developing new ones or they will be forced to follow the federal implementation plans instead.
Major contributors to pollution are also addressed in section 112. It sets foot that EPA will set a maximum degree of reduction in emissions of hazardous pollution standards for each massive contributor. The contributors will be checked every 8 years for possible residential risk and then the standard can be changed to accommodate findings.
However, despite the Act’s measurements, recent events like the wildfires in Canada serve as a reminder that more may need to be done to protect the public’s health. As climate change intensifies and wildfires become more frequent and severe. It’s clear that existing regulation may need to be reevaluated.
One aspect that should be considered is addressing emerging pollutants and understanding the long- term effects on a person's health. As the air quality standards are based on historical data and only address already well-known pollutant ants, they may not adequately account for the complexities of newer contributors. The law needs to adapt with evolving scientific knowledge and incorporate measures to deal with emerging threats.
Sources:
EPA, www.epa.gov/. Accessed 2 Aug. 2023.
“Air Pollution in US from Wildfire Smoke Is Worst in Recent Recorded History.” The Guardian, 8 June 2023, www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/08/air-quality-record-smoke-hazard-wildfire-worst-day-ever-canada-new-york.
“Particle Pollution.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Feb. 2023, www.cdc.gov/air/particulate_matter.html#:~:text=Particle%20pollution%20has%20also%20been%20linked%20to%3A%201,babies%20at%20birth%20%28for%20example%2C%20low%20birth%20weight%29.
Hannah. “Wildfire Smoke Poisoning: Do You Know the Warning Signs?” SnowBrains, 15 July 2021, snowbrains.com/wildfire-smoke-poisoning-warning-signs/.
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