No Room to Breathe Thousands of deaths every year in the United States are associated with particulate air pollution, even at levels well below that which the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe. It is associated with increased incidence of illnesses, increased absence from work and school, decreased lung function, and increased hospital visits. There seems to be no threshold for the effect on mortality , and some studies even demonstrate a relationship between air pollution and cancer. The dominant sources of this pollution are industrial processes, solid waste disposal and fossil fuel combustion in energy production and transportation.
Many studies also show increased hospital admissions associated with higher ozone levels.
Asthmatics, persons who exercise and work outdoors, and people with chronic lung and heart disease are at greater risk from air pollution. There is increasing evidence that air pollution combinations are even worse than individual pollutants. The Project Led by Dr. Jeff Dickey, Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility has expanded its work on the health effects of air pollution. The central goal of the project is to educate and activate the general medical community on this issue as it relates to patient care as well as public policy. It is also designed to provide information and assistance to community groups working on air pollution, and to promote collaboration between the medical community and the public.