Where do the authors work, and what are their areas of expertise? Note any other publications by the authors with relevance to the 6Cities project
The authors of the report work at the American Lung Association, A.S.L. and Associates, Beaconfire Consulting, or Our Designs, Inc. People from all of these worked on research, data analysis, review of content, communication and media, design, and publication of the report. Expertise varied.
The American Lung Association submits yearly 'State of the Air' reports, and has publications on tobacco use and issues, lung disease, disparities in lung health, and more.
What are the main findings or arguments presented in the article or report?
The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden metro area has overall increased in scores for short term and long term particulate emissions, but has declined in ratings of ozone pollution.
Philadelphia county is a major contributor to air pollution.
Heavier standards should be set in Philadelphia and in the metro area surrounding.
Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.
Data from the 'State of the Air 2014'
pollutant emission concentrations
asthma and COPD rates
Comparison to years past
Comparison to standards in place by the Clean Air Act
What three (or more) quotes capture the message of the article or report?
"The 2014 report, based on data for the three-year period of 2010-2012, showed improvements in both year-round and short-term (daily) particle pollution. The news wasn’t all good, however, as ozone, commonly called smog, came in worse than it did in the 2009 data, likely due to warmer temperatures in 2012, reflecting national trends."
'The area' refers to Philadelphia-Reading-Camden (PA-NJ-DE-MD) metro area
For ozone smog, “State of the Air 2014” recorded failing grades for all monitored counties in the area.
"Philadelphia County, PA, remained the most polluted county in the metro area as well as in Pennsylvania, and was graded “F,” significantly worsening its weighted annual average to 16.7 days with unhealthful levels of ozone in 2010-2012 from 10.7 in 2009-2011"
Measuring year-round particle pollution
"Philadelphia County, PA, having passed last year, failed with 13.4, and moved to worst place in the metro area
units: micrograms/m^3,
"We must set stronger health standards for pollutants and clean up sources of pollution in southeastern Pennsylvania and the metro area to protect the health of our citizens.”
What were the methods, tools and/or data used to produce the claims or arguments made in the article or report? We track the levels of these hazards using data gleaned from state and local air pollution control agencies, which are reviewed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and validated for use.
The data on air quality throughout the United States were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS), formerly called Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) database
These data come from the official monitors for ozone and particle pollution.
Data sources
EPA's Air Quality System meausurements
Ozone data analysis
From AQS data, found average (over 2010, 2011, 2012) ozone 8-hour daily maximum concentration
Listed the number of days in which the 8-hour daily maximum concentrations fell between each air quality index level.
Comment of interest about the analysis process:
"Because the EPA includes days with inadequate data if the standard value is exceeded, our data capture methodology may result at times in underestimations of the number of 8-hour averages within the higher concentration ranges. However, our experience is that underestimates are infrequent"
Inadequate data = less than 75% of the hourly concentrations were available for the 8 hour period; 8-hour averages were available for less than 75% of the day
Short term particle pollution analysis
Done by A.S.L. & Associates
Used AQS data to find 3 years (2010, 2011, 2012) of measurements of maximum daily 24-hour concentrations of PM2.5
Average hourly PM2.5 concentrations from the EPA were characterized into averaged 24-hour PM2.5 values.
Categorized both sets of data based on the AQI chart below to find the number of days in each.
Grading system (ozone and short term PM2.5)
Used a weighted average system
Weighting increased from 0 to 2.5, from green to maroon.
Multiplied the weighting, multiplied by the # of days in that color AQI, divided by 3 (years considered)
Grade given based on chart below
Long term particle pollution grading
Pass or Fail
Based on NAAQS, annual PM2.5 limit is 12 micrograms/m^3
The 'State of the Air 2014' touched on disparity issues on the impact of air pollution
Racial disparities: varying results in studies- no difference in effect between races; more premature death in whites and Hispanics from air pollution; greater risk for African Americans.
Socioeconomic: Little disparity in results.
"Low socioeconomic status consistently increased the risk of premature death from fine particle pollution among 13.2 million Medicare recipients studied in the largest examination of particle pollution mortality nationwide"
Proposed 3 reasons for disparities
Environmental justice issues (dangerous facilities placed in lower income areas)
Less access to healthcare, healthier food, clean living/work environments.
Some difference in health problems for people different racial groups or living areas (i.e. urban, suburban, rural)
Where has this article or report been referenced or discussed? (In some journals, you can see this in a sidebar.)
The 'State of the Air 2014' has been discussed on news websites, especially for the worst/best ranked polluter cities/counties.
Reference to this report has been used in environmental health organization's websites have referenced this report.
Can you learn anything from the article or report’s bibliography that tells us something about how the article or report was produced?
This report has no bibliography.
What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance your understanding of how air pollution science has been produced and used in governance and education in different settings?
I followed up by looking at 2015's "State of the Air" report card for Philadelphia
- Citation for news article:
"'State of the Air 2014' Report Finds Phila. Pollution Levels Improved to Best-ever, but Ozone Levels Worsened." Philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network (Digital), LLC., 2 May 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2015. <http://www.philly.com/philly/health/American_Lung_Association_State_of_the_Air_2014_report_finds_Philadelphia_areas_particle_pollution_levels_improved_to_best-ever_but_ozone_levels_worsened.html>.- Citation for report:
'State of the Air 2014' Rep. American Lung Association, 1 May 2014. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.stateoftheair.org/2014/assets/ALA-SOTA-2014-Full.pdf>.- Description of 'State of the Air 2014' Report (in place of abstract):
The State of the Air 2014 report grades cities and counties affected by the most widespread types of air pollution (ozone "smog" and particle pollution) recorded over a three-year period, and details trends for metropolitan areas over the past decade. The report ranks also both the cleanest and most polluted areas in the country (http://www.lung.org/associations/states/california/advocacy/fight-for-air-quality/sota-2014/state-of-the-air-2014.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/).Where do the authors work, and what are their areas of expertise? Note any other publications by the authors with relevance to the 6Cities project
What are the main findings or arguments presented in the article or report?
- The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden metro area has overall increased in scores for short term and long term particulate emissions, but has declined in ratings of ozone pollution.
- Philadelphia county is a major contributor to air pollution.
- In 2014 Philadelphia had an 'F' in ozone pollution, a 'D' in short term particle pollution, and failed to meet the Clean Air Act standards for annual particle emissions (http://www.stateoftheair.org/2014/states/pennsylvania/philadelphia-42101.html).
- Heavier standards should be set in Philadelphia and in the metro area surrounding.
Describe at least three ways that the argument is supported.What three (or more) quotes capture the message of the article or report?
- "The 2014 report, based on data for the three-year period of 2010-2012, showed improvements in both year-round and short-term (daily) particle pollution. The news wasn’t all good, however, as ozone, commonly called smog, came in worse than it did in the 2009 data, likely due to warmer temperatures in 2012, reflecting national trends."
- 'The area' refers to Philadelphia-Reading-Camden (PA-NJ-DE-MD) metro area
- For ozone smog, “State of the Air 2014” recorded failing grades for all monitored counties in the area.
- "Philadelphia County, PA, remained the most polluted county in the metro area as well as in Pennsylvania, and was graded “F,” significantly worsening its weighted annual average to 16.7 days with unhealthful levels of ozone in 2010-2012 from 10.7 in 2009-2011"
- Measuring year-round particle pollution
- "Philadelphia County, PA, having passed last year, failed with 13.4, and moved to worst place in the metro area
- units: micrograms/m^3,
- "We must set stronger health standards for pollutants and clean up sources of pollution in southeastern Pennsylvania and the metro area to protect the health of our citizens.”
What were the methods, tools and/or data used to produce the claims or arguments made in the article or report?We track the levels of these hazards using data gleaned from state and local air pollution control agencies, which are reviewed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and validated for use.
The data on air quality throughout the United States were obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS), formerly called Aerometric Information Retrieval System (AIRS) database
These data come from the official monitors for ozone and particle pollution.
- Data sources
- EPA's Air Quality System meausurements
- Ozone data analysis
- From AQS data, found average (over 2010, 2011, 2012) ozone 8-hour daily maximum concentration
- Listed the number of days in which the 8-hour daily maximum concentrations fell between each air quality index level.
- Comment of interest about the analysis process:
- "Because the EPA includes days with inadequate data if the standard value is exceeded, our data capture methodology may result at times in underestimations of the number of 8-hour averages within the higher concentration ranges. However, our experience is that underestimates are infrequent"
- Inadequate data = less than 75% of the hourly concentrations were available for the 8 hour period; 8-hour averages were available for less than 75% of the day
- Short term particle pollution analysis
- Done by A.S.L. & Associates
- Used AQS data to find 3 years (2010, 2011, 2012) of measurements of maximum daily 24-hour concentrations of PM2.5
- Average hourly PM2.5 concentrations from the EPA were characterized into averaged 24-hour PM2.5 values.
- Categorized both sets of data based on the AQI chart below to find the number of days in each.
- Grading system (ozone and short term PM2.5)
- Used a weighted average system
- Weighting increased from 0 to 2.5, from green to maroon.
- Multiplied the weighting, multiplied by the # of days in that color AQI, divided by 3 (years considered)
- Grade given based on chart below
- Long term particle pollution grading
- Pass or Fail
- Based on NAAQS, annual PM2.5 limit is 12 micrograms/m^3
- Data from EPA dataset
(http://www.stateoftheair.org/2014/key-findings/methodology-and-acknowledgements.html#datasources)How (if at all) are health disparities or other equity issues addressed in the article or report?
Where has this article or report been referenced or discussed? (In some journals, you can see this in a sidebar.)
Can you learn anything from the article or report’s bibliography that tells us something about how the article or report was produced?
- This report has no bibliography.
What three points, details or references from the text did you follow up on to advance your understanding of how air pollution science has been produced and used in governance and education in different settings?