Roxanne Gasana, news editor
Although air quality in the United States has improved over the last few decades, air pollution is still a concern both nationally and globally.
Environmental Science professor Zack Taylor said air quality in the United States has generally improved over the past 25 years, crediting regulations like the Clean Air Act, which was designed to reduce air pollution. The act requires industries and power plants to limit harmful emissions. These regulations have also produced benefits by reducing illness and associated healthcare costs.
“Cleaner air reduces the number of people who become sick from pollution,” Taylor said.
Despite improvements in the United States, global air pollution is more difficult to track because industries often relocate to countries with fewer environmental regulations, often developing nations, allowing pollution to continue elsewhere.
“Although some countries have taken steps to improve air quality, economic growth and industrialization have contributed to pollution in places like India, Bangladesh and China,” Taylor said.
Assistant Environmental Science professor Courtney Cooper similarly said that cleaner air in one country does not guarantee that pollution has disappeared. She said that lower-income communities within the United States can face unfair environmental burdens.
“Industries often relocate to countries with fewer environmental regulations, often poorer nations, allowing pollution to continue elsewhere,” Cooper said.
Taylor said technology heavily influences pollution levels, identifying fossil fuels as a major source of air pollution.
“Transition to cleaner energy could bring several environmental benefits,” Taylor said. “Reducing dependence on fossil fuels could help address both air pollution and climate change.”
Cooper also mentioned a less obvious but potent source of pollution: small petrol- powered equipment.
“Small motors, like those found in lawnmowers and weed trimmers, are one of the worst contributors,” Cooper said. “Using electric alternatives could reduce emissions, especially in places like Berry, where we maintain large areas of grass.”
Weather conditions can also affect how much pollution people breathe in on a daily basis. Taylor explained that sunny days with little wind tend to accumulate pollution.
“Sunny days with little wind allow pollutants to react in the atmosphere and form photochemical smog, and when air remains stagnant, pollution accumulates instead of dispersing,” Taylor said.
Areas that do not often experience severe air pollution, occasionally receive air quality alerts, like Rome. Students have observed the air quality index go upwards of 101 to 150, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Junior Katelyn Wilburn noticed the severe air quality alert on the morning of Sept. 28.
“I had been getting warnings about poor air quality for two weeks,” Wilburn said. “When I checked my weather app that day, it showed an air quality index of 169 only in the Rome area.”
The air quality in Rome, Georgia typically ranges from good to moderate, according to the Georgia Air Monitoring Program, because it’s a smaller city and its geography is different from larger metropolitan areas.
“Rome has experienced several poor air quality days, some of them associated with smoke from Canadian wildfires,” Cooper said.
For Berry students interested in monitoring local conditions, the college has PurpleAir monitors that collect air quality data. Environmental science students installed the monitors two years ago as part of a lab. One monitor is located on Morgan Bailey, and the other is moved around to different locations.
“The monitors are an example of citizen science, in which members of the public contribute to collecting environmental data,” Cooper said. “Students can use the PurpleAir online map to view available readings and learn more about air quality on campus.”