Connecticut State Department of Public Health

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Air Quality

Air pollution can be a substantial trigger for people living with asthma, particularly in urban areas.  Exposure to air pollution early in life is linked to the development of asthma during childhood and adolescence. Traffic-related air pollution, in particular, is associated with the development of asthma in children and can increase the chance of developing asthma in adults.
 

Air Pollution

From: Air Pollution and Your Health

Air pollution is the contamination of the air due to hazardous substances from a variety of sources such as vehicle emissions, fuel oils and natural gas, fumes from chemical production, wildfires, gases from volcanic eruptions, methane from decomposing matter in soils.

Traffic-related Air Pollution, a mixture of gasses and particles, has most of the elements of human-made air pollution: ground-level ozone, various forms of carbon, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and fine particulate matter.

Ozone, an atmospheric gas, is often called smog when at ground level. It is created when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight.

Noxious gases, which include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur oxides (SOx), are components of motor vehicle emissions and byproducts of industrial processes.

Particulate matter (PM) is composed of chemicals such as sulfates, nitrates, carbon, or mineral dusts. Vehicle and industrial emissions from fossil fuel combustion, cigarette smoke, and burning organic matter, such as wildfires, all contain PM.

A subset of PM, fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is 30 times thinner than a human hair. It can be inhaled deeply into lung tissue and contribute to serious health problems. PM 2.5 accounts for most health effects due to air pollution in the U.S.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) vaporize at or near room temperature—hence, the designation volatile. They are called organic because they contain carbon. VOCs are given off by paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, some furnishings, and even craft materials like glue. Gasoline and natural gas are major sources of VOCs, which are released during combustion.

Other organic compounds widespread in the environment from industrial combustion of iron, steel, rubber are also found in particulate matter.

Respiratory Diseases

  • Air pollution can affect lung development and is implicated in the development of emphysema, asthma, and other respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • Increases in asthma prevalence and severity are linked to urbanization and outdoor air pollution. Children living in low-income urban areas tend to have more asthma cases than others. Research published in 2023 tied two air pollutants, ozone and PM2.5, to asthma-related changes in children’s airways.
  • PM and nitrogen oxide are linked to chronic bronchitis.
  • In 2020, a major public health challenge was confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires across the western U.S. Building on a well-established connection between air pollution and respiratory-tract infections, a study linked wildfire smoke with additional COVID-19 cases and deaths.
 

Air Quality Index (AQI)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a scale called the Air Quality Index (AQI) for rating air quality. This scale is based on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) . The AQI forecast is updated once daily at 3:00pm, excluding weekends and holidays.

Alternatively, you may call the Air Quality Index Hotline at (800) 249-1234 or (860) 424-4167 for the forecast or link to Airnow.gov for the most current air quality information. The AQI forecast is updated once daily at 3:00pm, excluding weekends and holidays.

Particulate matter and ozone levels affect asthma

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

  • Check the daily air quality forecast via newspaper, TV, radio, or online at AirNow.gov to learn when particle levels are unhealthy
  • Reduce the amount of time outside when pollution is high
  • Plan outdoor activities when ozone levels are lower, usually in the morning and evening
  • Exercise away from roads and highways. Particle pollution is usually worse near these areas
  • Do easier outdoor activities, such as walking instead of running or using a riding lawn mower instead of a push mower

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/multimedia/infographics/asthma_air_pollution.html 

 

Indoor Air Pollutants and Health

According to the American Lung Association, Indoor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer and chronic lung diseases such as asthma. People who already have lung disease are at greater risk. Find out what makes indoor air unhealthy and how pollution can hurt your body. Click here to learn more about how each of the below makes indoor air unhealthy and how pollution can hurt your body.

  • Asbestos
  • Building and paint products
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Carpets
  • Cleaning supplies and household chemicals
  • Cockroaches
  • Dust mites and dust
  • Floods and water damage
  • Formaldehyde
  • Lead
  • Mold and dampness
  • Nitrogen dioxide
  • Pet dander
  • Radon
  • Residential wood burning
  • Secondhand smoke
  • Volatile Organic Compounds
Protect Yourself from Air Pollution at Home

From: Protecting Yourself from Air Pollution at Home (American Lung Association)

Make healthy air in your home a priority by keeping pollution out. The following are some easy, but important tips for healthy indoor air:

  1. Declare your home smokefree zone. Never let anyone smoke indoors. Ask smokers to go outside.
  2. Test your home for radon, an invisible gas that causes lung cancer. Every home should be tested since radon may be found in any home. If your home has high radon, it can be fixed.
  3. Keep humidity levels under 50 percent. Use a dehumidifier or air conditioner, as needed. Clean equipment regularly so they don't become a source of pollution themselves.
  4. Fix all leaks and drips in the home. Standing water and high humidity encourage the growth of mold and other pollutants.
  5. Put away food, cover trash and use baits to control pests, like mice and cockroaches.
  6. Avoid burning wood because it adds pollution indoors and out. Don't use outdoor wood boilers, also called hydronic heaters, to heat your home's water. They add unhealthy soot to the air in your neighborhood.
  7. Don't use scented candles or fragrances to hide odors. Figure out what is causing the odor, then clean that up and ventilate to add fresh air.

Click here to watch a short video on how indoor air quality impacts your health, as well as tips to improve indoor air in your home.

 

Return to the Asthma main webpage.

This page was updated on April 19, 2023.