Clean Air Archives - Respiratory Health Association

Respiratory Health Association Statement on EPA Decision to Delay Changes to Ozone Health Standard

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Alex Rodriguez

August 21, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Under the guise of ‘needs more study’ the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today made a decision that ensures Americans will continue to breathe more dangerous ozone smog for many years to come. Rather than proposing a tighter ozone health standard early next year as expected, it has now halted any improvement and deferred further action until 2025 or later.

Scientists officially advising EPA on its air standards made it abundantly clear, based on scientific information that was available years ago, that the current health standard is too weak, does not protect vulnerable groups, and should be strengthened to 55-60 parts per billion (ppb) from the current 70 ppb.

“EPA’s decision will hurt the millions of people who disproportionately suffer the health impacts of poor air quality,” said Joel Africk, RHA President and CEO. “Respiratory Health Association will continue to fight for healthy lungs and clean air for all, especially for the young, seniors, and people living with lung and heart disease and other chronic medical conditions.”

Illinois records ozone smog levels at 33 locations around the state. Even using the inadequate existing ozone health standard set back in 2015, all of those air quality monitoring stations have seen multiple days this year where caustic ozone gas levels exceeded national health standards. Some monitoring stations in the Chicago region saw 20 such days so far this summer.

EPA is also reviewing the adequacy of the fine particle “soot” health standard and, barring any reversal there, is still expected to announce a final decision by the end of this year on the need to reduce deadly fine particles in the air from fossil fuel power plants and motor vehicles.

What Kind of Air Purifier Should I Buy for My Home?

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Alex Rodriguez

The number of poor air quality days is increasing. Hopefully, you’ve already taken a few initial steps such as keeping the windows closed, making sure your AC unit doesn’t bring in outside air but recirculates air inside the home, and wearing an N95 mask.

Another option is the DIY Corsi-Rosenthal filter, an excellent and effective option for someone on a budget.

It’s a good idea to run an air purifier in your home on days when the outside air is unhealthy, but which air purifier is best? With hundreds of options to choose from, the choice can be difficult. Here are a few guidelines to look for when purchasing an air purifier for your home:

Look for an air purifier with a HEPA filter.

According to the US EPA, HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air [filter.] This filter can trap the tiny particles that we might otherwise breathe in and get trapped in our lungs and other parts of the body. HEPA filters, like all air filters, periodically need to be replaced, so make sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.

Check that the air purifier is CARB-certified.

California passed a law in 2010 that requires all indoor air cleaning devices to be certified by CARB, (the California Air Resources Board). According to CARB’s website, for a product “to be certified, all air cleaners must be tested for electrical safety. Electronic air cleaners must also be tested for ozone emissions and meet an ozone emission concentration limit of 0.050 parts per million (50 ppb).” Ozone is a key component of summertime smog. You don’t want a device that cleans up one pollutant by replacing it with another lung-irritating pollutant! To ensure the product is CARB-certified, look for this label on the device’s packaging:

Find an air purifier that is a suitable size and has an appropriate clean air delivery rate (CADR) for your space.

You’ll want to find an air purifier that is sized for the room you plan to use it. Check the square footage of the room you want to place it and the ceiling height, before you start researching products. This way, you won’t overspend on a large unit if a smaller one will fit your space.

If you get a smaller model place it where you spend the most time, such as a bedroom.

You can also check the clean air delivery rate (CADR) to ensure the unit can process all the air in the room on a regular basis. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers recommends using the two-thirds rule: “The CADR of your air cleaner should be equal to at least two-thirds of the room’s area…If your ceilings are higher than 8 feet, an air cleaner rated for a larger room will be necessary.”

Don’t forget the rebate!

ComEd of Illinois offers rebates on Energy Star appliances and home products, including air filters. Check if the air purifier you are interested in purchasing qualifies for a rebate.

Six Ways to Keep Your Lungs Healthy

Posted on October 28, 2021October 28, 2021 by Sarah Meyer Hughes

keep your lungs health

October is National Healthy Lung Month, a great time to raise awareness about lung disease and talk about ways you can keep your lungs healthy.

It’s easy to take your lung health for granted until you get sick or have trouble breathing. Here are a few ways you can protect your lungs:

Talk to your doctor about any changes in your lung health or symptoms like coughing or difficulty breathing.
Ask your doctor if a lung cancer screening is right for you.
If you smoke, consider quitting. After quitting, you gain health benefits such as improved lung function and improved circulation. Over time, your risk for certain lung diseases will also go down.
Prevent infection and stay healthy by getting a COVID-19 vaccination and an annual flu shot.
Stay active and exercise regularly. Talk to your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine.
If you live with lung diseases like asthma or COPD, get to know the ways you can manage your condition.

Want to learn more about ways you can keep your lungs healthy? Click here to explore other resources.

Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act Becomes Law

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Sarah Meyer Hughes

For Immediate Release

September 15, 2021

Contact: Erica Krutsch

ekrutsch@resphealth.org

Respiratory Health Association Applauds Signing of Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (Senate Bill 2408)

Legislation invests in clean energy, electric transportation in historic win for clean air and lung health

CHICAGO –After more than three years of advocacy and grassroots organizing by Respiratory Health Association (RHA) and partners across the state in the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, today Governor Pritzker signed into law a nation-leading equitable climate bill.

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act sets Illinois on the path to 100% clean energy by 2050 and commits millions of dollars to quickly accelerate transportation electrification in Illinois.

Following the Governor’s signing, RHA released the following statement:

“Respiratory Health Association applauds Governor Pritzker on today’s signing of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Illinois is now poised to lead the nation in building a strong, sustainable future with an energy plan that addresses the public health threat of pollution from fossil fuels, takes steps to support communities most impacted by poor air quality, and creates quality jobs.

The energy and transportation industries are the leading contributors to air pollution, including particulate matter pollution and smog. Not only do these emissions accelerate climate change, but they have a significant impact on our health.

More than 137 million Americans live in communities, both cities and rural areas, with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Recent research indicates that worldwide more than eight million people died in 2018 from fossil fuel pollution. Air pollution is also linked to increased risk for lung cancer and chronic lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

We would like to thank Governor Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Senate President Don Harmon and other legislative champions in addition to thousands of diverse advocates who have joined us in advocating for clean energy, clean air, and healthy lungs for more than three years.”

A Recap of 2021 Lung Health Advocacy Victories

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Sarah Meyer Hughes

Together we made great progress toward healthy lungs and clean air for all during the spring legislative session. With your support, we advocated new laws and changes to benefit the health of everyone in Illinois. Join us in celebrating these victories,:

RHA worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health on an advocacy effort to increase statewide funding for asthma education in Illinois. These efforts resulted in an additional $1 million in funding for school-based asthma education.
SB2294 will encourage more Illinoisans to quit smoking by providing expanded Medicaid coverage for FDA approved quit smoking medications, tobacco counseling services, and telephone-based quit smoking services provided through the Illinois Tobacco Quitline.
HB3202 will add e-cigarettes and other vapor devices to the state’s health education programs in schools.
SB512 will prohibit companies from marketing e-cigarettes to minors and from running misleading e-cigarette advertising.
HB1779 will provide easier access to care for people living with cancer by not requiring prior authorization for biomarker testing, which can guide health professionals in developing a treatment plan.
HB1745 will reduce out-of-pocket costs for Illinoisans’ prescription drugs, like asthma and COPD medications, by requiring insurance companies to offer plans with predictable co-pays or cap these amounts.
HB3498 makes innovative telehealth approaches permanent, so Illinoisans can continue to access critically needed care beyond the pandemic regardless of transportation, scheduling barriers – and with less stigma or risk to safety.
SB2563 expands vehicle emissions testing by permitting owners of vehicle service companies to operate an official portable emissions testing company – a win for clean air.
SB2133 focuses on health equity by ensuring the state reports data related to race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities for public health indicators, such as COVID infections.

Want to get involved with our advocacy efforts and help promote laws that will benefit everyone’s health? Learn more and sign-up to receive our emails here.

Building a Healthy Future Together

Posted on June 28, 2021June 28, 2021 by Sarah Meyer Hughes

Your support made it possible for us to have an impact in communities throughout Illinois and beyond this past year. Together we faced new challenges, found new solutions, and made progress toward a future free of lung disease. As we come to the end of our program year, we want to share some of our work to prevent lung disease, promote clean air, and help people with lung disease live better lives.

Project STRENGTH for COPD

Thanks to support from the Learn More Breathe BetterSM program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, we created resources that provide information on how people with COPD can live well at home. Each informational packet aims at keeping people with COPD healthy and provides guidance to help build exercise routines, manage breathing, put together a nutrition plan, and more.

Improving Our Asthma Programs

We collaborated with University of Chicago to conduct a formal evaluation of our two asthma programs – Fight Asthma Now© and Asthma Management. The evaluation showed kids and parents participating in these programs learned a lot about asthma triggers, medications, and staying healthy. The results were even better with repeat sessions.

A New Approach to Quitting

We began testing a new format for our Courage to Quit® program that helps people stop smoking. The new “rolling” model allows people to attend group Courage to Quit sessions with more flexibility, which increases accessibility and makes the program work for more people. We’re pushing forward to expand this idea and increase access to the program in the coming year.

Educational Webinar Series

In August, we launched a new educational webinar series. Lung health content reached nearly 1,000 people on important topics like COVID vaccines, women’s lung health, lung cancer screening, and environmental justice issues. Because the programs were entirely online, we were able to reach a national audience.

Funding Asthma Education

Asthma is the No. 1 cause of school absences due to chronic illness. RHA led an advocacy effort to increase statewide funding for asthma education in Illinois. These efforts resulted in an additional $1 million in funding for school-based asthma education.

Lung Cancer & COPD Research

We awarded two grants to fund promising research into lung cancer and one new COPD research award. One of the lung cancer studies is looking at a specific gene mutation that can cause cancer even in non-smokers. Our annual Solovy Award for Advancement in COPD was awarded to support the research efforts of Dr. Nadia Hansel at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

School-based Asthma Policy Study

We conducted a study to see how well school staff understand current rules about asthma inhalers in schools. We found that 60% of school nurses in Illinois surveyed didn’t fully understand current rules that allow students to bring and use their inhalers in school. We will now focus some of our program resources on educating school health staff to better serve students.

Investing in Clean Air

In April, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency released a plan to invest $88.6 million in electric public transportation, school buses, and charging infrastructure for electric cars. For years RHA has given testimony and fought for money to support clean transportation because transportation is a leading cause of air pollution. This investment is a huge victory for clean air.

Women’s Lung Health Research

Thanks to amazing growth in our Catch Your Breath® women’s lung health initiative, we were able to partner with CHEST Foundation to fund a new research award addressing gender disparities in lung disease. Lung disease impacts one in every six US women, and this award will increase research into the unique aspects of lung disease in women.

To learn more about the educational programs, research, and policy work your contributions support, as well as to receive updates on our work toward healthy lungs and clean air for all, sign-up for our monthly newsletter.

If you’d like to support RHA’s work to prevent lung disease, promote clean air, and help people living with lung disease, you can donate here.

Why We Stand for Clean Air

Posted on May 14, 2021May 14, 2021 by Sarah Meyer Hughes

Lung health begins with the air you breathe.

Polluted air puts everyone’s lungs at risk for asthma, COPD, and even lung cancer. And our loved ones living with asthma and COPD may experience worse symptoms on bad air quality days.

Unfortunately, more than 137 million Americans – over 40 percent – live in communities with unhealthy levels of air pollution.

We cannot create a world free of lung disease without addressing this. Cleaner air will help prevent lung disease and protect the health of people who already live with these conditions.

You can spring into action by supporting our clean air efforts during the month of May.

RHA is one of the leading health voices in the Illinois environmental community. We are dedicated to connecting the dangers of air pollution to health impacts. Our collaborations are leading to some exciting new opportunities that promise cleaner air and healthier lungs for everyone.

We recently released a study with researchers at UW-Madison that shows positive health impacts of using clean energy. A transition to power sources like wind and solar may prevent nearly 2,000 people in Illinois from having lung problems (like asthma flare-ups) due to air pollution every year. You can read the full report here. Research like this is key to pass laws that will help everyone in Illinois breathe easier.
Along with other groups, we are working toward a clean air future by supporting the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). This bill will reduce air pollution by focusing on renewable energy sources and electric transportation options. This includes significant investment in electric transit buses and charging hubs for personal vehicles. In addition, it includes a plan that converts Illinois to 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
After years of RHA’s advocacy efforts, the governor announced a new plan in April that will allocate the remaining funds from a 2018 VW settlement for electrifying school buses, which contribute greatly to diesel pollution. Additionally, funds will be used for charging hubs across Illinois to promote electric car ownership.
This past year, RHA partnered with organizations and residents in Chicago’s Southeast Side to protest the move of General Iron, a heavy polluting company, to their neighborhood. In May, the city announced a pause on the permitting process. They plan to do a more in-depth study into the health impacts of the move. We are hopeful this will result in a permit denial and commitment to protecting a community long plagued by unequal exposure to air pollution.

Only with your support can we continue the fight to protect our lungs from the damaging effects of air pollution. Together we can create a clean air future for all!

For this month only, a group of generous donors from RHA’s leadership have agreed to match every dollar raised up to $5,000. Donate now.

Sharing Hope for a Future Free of Lung Disease

Posted on December 31, 2020December 31, 2020 by Sarah Meyer Hughes

As we close out a year of many challenges, I am proud of all we have accomplished at Respiratory Health Association (RHA). Together, we have continued to reach for a future free of lung disease.

With the support of our dearest friends, supporters, and partners this year, we made some amazing progress.

Five things give me hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Our amazing Making a Difference Volunteers

They give me hope and inspiration in their dedication and support of healthy lungs and clean air for all. Whether riding CowaLUNGa to support kids who have asthma or working with people committed to quit smoking, these awardees have lived RHA’s mission and they are amazing.

collage of photos

RHA’s resilient program staff

When respiratory therapists paused their pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and shifted to help care for COVID-19 patients, RHA stepped up and provided much-needed patient resources. RHA’s new Project STRENGTH (Support for Transitioning Rehabilitation and Exercise Now Going to Home) offers exercise routines and breathing tips COPD patients can use at home.

One of RHA’s Next Generation Advocates, Mia Fritsch-Anderson

Mia, a high schooler who lives with asthma, made more than 3,500 masks over the last nine months. Mia donates masks to people in need and sells some with all the proceeds going to charities doing important work during the pandemic.

Our local research community

These scientists have worked tirelessly over the last year to find treatments and new vaccines for COVID-19. The collaboration across the industry has saved countless lives, and RHA is excited to help promote the vaccine in the new year.

Our environmental policy staff and partners

Amidst the pandemic, they have continued to fight for equitable clean air policies and to reduce climate change. The air we breathe has a direct effect on our lungs, and these advocates are committed to protecting the air to ensure we can all breathe better.

These people, and their tremendous work, give me hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Please join us and make a gift today to help create a tomorrow where everyone breathes easier.

Thank you for being a part of Respiratory Health Association’s community.

Have a happy new year,

Joel J. Africk
President and Chief Executive Officer