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Date: 8/11/2022
WEST SPRINGFIELD - Air pollution was responsible for 2,780 deaths in Massachusetts this year, including 23 residents of West Springfield, according to a study published in Environmental Health last month.
The study, headed by Boston College researcher Phillip Landrigan, looked at a specific kind of air pollution: very tiny particles in the air called PM2.5 because they are 2.5 microns or less in diameter. By referencing a number of previous studies and correlating them with data from sensors maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Landrigan and other researchers were able to determine the specific health effects of this kind of air pollution.
In addition to being the primary factor for 23 deaths, 61 cases of pediatric asthma, and a cumulative loss of 8,303 IQ points – a quantity of brain power equivalent to nearly 37 Albert Einsteins – were determined to be directly caused by PM2.5 air pollution. Of course, this is not how IQ works, and the per-child average was 2.53 IQ points lost. Asked if two and a half IQ points was significant, Landrigan said,
“Obviously, lots of things influence a child’s ability to get along in life and intelligence is only one of them. It’s the love, compassion, the way the child is brought up, all of those things matter. But still IQ is an important determinant of how a kid does. And so anything that erodes the child’s IQ is cause for concern,” adding that educational attainment and lifetime earnings are both linked to IQ.
Landrigan is a pediatrician, and his research was highly influential in the phase out of leaded gasoline and lead paint in the 1970s.
The study controlled for factors such as cigarette smoking, and according to the researchers these outcomes are directly attributable to air pollution.
West Springfield’s average levels of pollution were somewhat high compared to other towns in the area but were below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended limits. The EPA sets a safe limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 particles as the limit for what is considered safe. West Springfield was below this with an annual average of 7.71 micrograms per cubic meter. Based on their findings, Landrigan believes the EPA should change their policy to a limit of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
In Massachusetts, 70 percent of all air pollution is caused by cars, trucks, buses, trains, ships and planes, with the remaining 30 percent coming from industry and electric plants. With the intersection of two major highways, as well as a large freight rail station in the town, West Springfield is at a disadvantage in this regard.
While West Springfield has little control over these sources of vehicle emissions, there are things the town can do to decrease PM2.5 pollution. “Anything that takes cars off the road, anything that reduces pollution from cars, it’s going to be for the good,” said Landrigan. Recent efforts to build bike lanes throughout town, and even the electric rental scooters which recently appeared, if they replace a car trip, contribute to this effort.
While a few scooters won’t undo the 938,201 tons of air pollution produced statewide in 2017, further efforts may prove to be worth West Springfield’s efforts. Research has found that reducing air pollution has a return on investment of $30 for every $1 spent.
In January, West Springfield was approved for a grant from the state to buy 10 PM2.5 air quality sensors, which would have allowed it to better monitor air quality, and pinpoint higher than average sources of pollution. This never happened. “When the guidelines for installation were made known, the departments that would have to make that happen didn’t have the funds available to them to cover the additional cost of about $2,000 per unit,” said Jeanne Galloway, West Springfield Director of Public Health.
Galloway said the installation costs related to needing electricity and Wi-Fi at the places where the sensors would be installed. She did not know the exact model that would be used. Consumer grade sensors are relatively inexpensive, ranging from about $15 for a bare component that can be attached by hobbyists to an Arduino microcontroller or Raspberry Pi computer, to $250 for standalone devices with Wi-Fi connectivity. The accuracy of these devices is not high enough for use in official reporting by the DEP, however.
Galloway and Mayor William Reichelt said there are currently no initiatives by the town to monitor or improve air pollution.
According to Landrigan, the best thing individuals can do to improve the air is limit the amount of gasoline they burn, not driving if possible, and switch from big, inefficient vehicles like SUVs to cars powered by electricity or a hybrid. He also noted that the proposed east-west commuter rail, which recently received funding from the state, would help keep cars off the road.
For more information, and to see air pollution levels in other Massachusetts communities, visit bc.edu/masscleanair.