New England residents experienced a slight increase in pollution in 2022 compared to 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England regional office announced Oct. 27.
Monitoring of the pollutant known as “ozone,” which contributes to smog or haze, determined the slight increase, an EPA news release said. Preliminary data collected between March and September showed “there were 24 days when ozone monitors in New England recorded ozone concentrations above” healthy levels. New England had 23 unhealthy ozone days in 2021.
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of federal and state efforts, we made great progress in reducing ozone pollution over the past several decades and providing cleaner air for our communities,” EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash said in the release. “Unfortunately, New England and especially coastal Connecticut continues to experience an unacceptable number of days with unhealthful air quality. EPA is taking steps to improve ozone air quality, such as implementing rules to reduce air pollution from passenger cars and trucks and power plants.”
Ozone is one of the least well-controlled pollutants in the U.S., the American Lung Association said.
“Ozone (O3) is a gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. Often called ‘smog,’ ozone is harmful to breathe,” the American Lung Association said. “Ozone aggressively attacks lung tissue by reacting chemically with it. When ozone is present, there are other harmful pollutants created by the same processes that make ozone.”
Breathing ozone can shorten life and cause breathing problems such as asthma attacks; shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing; and increased risk of respiratory infections and pulmonary inflammation, the American Lung Association said.
