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Suffolk's Air Rating Stinks: EPA Numbers Show Suffolk Ozone Problem Among State's Worst; NY Metro Area 9th in Nation for Poor Quality

Posted on: Thursday, 27 April 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Jennifer Smith, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

Apr. 27--So much for moving to the suburbs for fresh air.

Suffolk County has the second-worst ozone problem in the state, according to a nationwide air quality report the American Lung Association released today. (Chautauqua County was rated the worst.)

Things aren't much better in the city, where Staten Island ranks fourth for ozone pollution, Queens is tied for 13th and the Bronx is in a three-way tie for 14th. Manhattan and Brooklyn aren't monitored for ozone.

While efforts to clean up the air have led to slight improvements on the national level, the city and its neighbors continue to hold the dubious distinction of having some of the most serious air quality problems in the country, said Michael Seilback, director of public policy for the American Lung Association of New York State.

The New York metropolitan region ranked ninth among the nation's worst ozone-polluted cities, according to the report, and fared only slightly better when it came to particle pollution such as soot.

"Our air has failed for the last several years," Seilback said. "We need to be cleaning up the pollution from vehicles and the pollution from power plants."

First issued in 2001, the report uses data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air-quality monitors to rank communities nationwide on the number of days pollution exceeds federal standards. It focuses on the two outdoor air pollutants that it calls the most pervasive and the most hazardous, ozone and particle pollution - in plain English, smog and soot.

Ozone is beneficial in the upper atmosphere, where it occurs naturally and provides protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays. But when brewed near the earth's surface, as sunlight heats pollutants from vehicles, power plants and refineries, ozone can cause serious respiratory problems and worsen asthma and emphysema, according to the EPA.

Between 2002 and 2004, Suffolk County had seven days when ozone levels were considered unhealthy, 19 days deemed unhealthy for people with lung problems and one day when ozone levels reached the "very unhealthy" level - 0.125 to 0.374 parts per million. When ozone is that high, the EPA advises everyone to limit outside exertion and instructs those with respiratory diseases to avoid it entirely.

The EPA does not monitor ozone in Nassau County, but the levels are likely to be similar, Seilback said.

Long Island did better with respect to particle pollution, the liquid droplets and solid particles such as dust and smoke that the EPA says can cause health problems by penetrating deep into your lungs, and sometimes even your bloodstream.

Suffolk earned a "B" grade for particle pollution in the report, an improvement from last year's "C." Nassau maintained the "C" it had in 2005.

Manhattan moved up from an "F" to a "D" in terms of individual days that exceeded particulate limits. But the report issued the borough an overall failing grade because of high year-round levels.

Breathing uneasier

Ozone gas is the main ingredient in smog, forming when emissions from vehicles, power plants and factories react with sunlight. The New York City metropolitan area ranked ninth in the American Lung Association's evaluation of the most ozone-polluted areas.

The worst . . .

1. Bakersfield, Calif.

2. Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.

3. Visalia-Porterville, Calif.

4. Fresno-Madera, Calif.

5. Merced, Calif.

6. Houston

7. Sacramento, Calif.

8. Dallas-Fort Worth

9. New York-Newark, N.J.

10. Philadelphia-Camden, N.J.

The best . . .

1. Bellingham, Wash.

2. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

3. Colorado Springs, Colo.

4. Flagstaff, Ariz.

5. Gainesville, Fla.

6. Honolulu, Hawaii

7. Naples, Fla.

8. Port St. Lucie, Fla.

9.Salinas, Calif.

10. Springfield, Ill.

NOTE: Rankings based on analysis of data from Environmental Protection Agency's air pollution monitors. New York area includes portions of New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. More than 30 areas tied for the lowest ozone communities by recording zero levels of ozone.

SOURCE: AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION NEWSDAY

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Copyright (c) 2006, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

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Source: Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

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