Health
Effects of Air Pollution
The Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA)
11 coal-fired power plants are the largest stationary sources of air pollution
in the state. Other significant sources of air pollution are mobile
sources (cars, SUVs, trucks, airplanes) and industrial facilities.
Negative health impacts of air pollution:
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Premature death -- Fine particles can
lodge themselves deep in the lungs and lead to respiratory distress and
death. In addition, a 1997 study found high levels of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS) paralleling high levels of particulate matter pollution
in Nashville and Memphis.
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Asthma -- Nitrogen oxides, the major
ingredient of smog, exacerbates and in some cases triggers asthma attacks.
One third of all asthma sufferers are children.
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Mercury contamination -- Mercury emissions
from power plants are unregulated. Mercury released to the air that
settles in water and moves up the food chain can be extremely harmful
to our health. It can cause neurological and developmental damage
in fetuses and in children, losses in sensory or cognitive ability, and
birth defects.
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Respiratory distress -- Particulate
matter and gas pollutants can aggravate respiratory function and lead
to or exacerbate emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma attacks, shortness
of breath, hospitalizations due to compromised respiratory and cardiac
function.
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Heart disease -- Once it has entered
the blood stream, air pollution can contribute to secondary heart disease
such as hypertension and arrhythmias.
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Compromised immunity -- Pollutants
can suppress or overstimulate the immune system and limit its ability
to respond to other health threats.
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A 2000 study by the Clean Air Task
Force found 910 total hospitalizations, 27,100 asthma attacks, and 1,440
premature deaths in one year in Tennessee resulting from air pollution
induced illness.
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"Coal country" cities were
found to have extraordinarily high mortality rates due to power plant
pollution. For instance, the following Tennessee cities ranked #2,
#5, and #12 nationwide, respectively: Chattanooga (154 premature deaths),
Johnson City (154), Knoxville (190). These numbers are extremely
high given the cities’ populations. Compare Chattanooga’s 49.3 deaths
per 100,000 adults to New York City’s 19.3 per 100,000 adults.
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Advocating for a nationwide/state health
tracking network to monitor where and when chronic diseases occur and
environmental factors that may be linked to them
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Working in collaboration with other
public health and environmental groups for high state air pollution reduction
standards for power plants, especially in light of reduced protections
at the federal level
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Participating as a member of the Tennessee
Pollution Prevention Roundtable (P2R), which seeks methods to prevent
the release of pollutants from commercial activities
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Working to prevent merchant power plants
from operating in Tennessee
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Co-hosted an environmental health forum
in July 2002 with Vanderbilt University
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Contact your elected officials and
let them know you support modern pollution control standards for power
plants and stronger standards for Tennessee than the relaxed federal standards.
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If you are a medical professional (nurse,
technician, physician, researcher), share these issues with your colleagues
and contact your elected officials as a representative of your profession
about negative health impacts of air pollution.
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Reduce air pollution from mobile emissions
by selecting a fuel-efficient vehicle, using public transportation, advocating
for better public transit, and walking and biking instead of driving when
you can.
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Conserve energy at your home and workplace.
Do an energy audit (or request one from your utility) to find ways to
reduce energy use and save money.
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Sign up for Tennessee Environmental
News (T.E.N.) here on TEC’s website to receive regular email updates about
health risks due to air pollution in Tennessee.
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