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EPA: Clean Power Plan proposal could cut asthma attacks in children
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The EPA has released the Clean Power Plan proposal, which would cut carbon pollution from existing power plants and help curtail premature deaths and asthma attacks in children, according to a press release.
There currently are no national limits on carbon pollution levels, and power plants are the single largest contributor to this pollution nationwide, according to the EPA release. The CDC reports that exposure to particle pollution may cause worsening asthma symptoms, breathing problems, adverse birth outcomes, lung cancer and early death.
Kathleen Sebelius
“With more than 25 million Americans, including more than 6.5 million children, living with asthma, and countless others suffering from the health effects of carbon pollution and climate change, we must act,” outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a separate release.
Under the EPA’s proposed guidelines, by 2030 up to 6,600 premature deaths could be avoided, as well as 150,000 asthma attacks in children and up to 490,000 missed work or school days. This, in turn, would provide up to $93 billion in climate and public health benefits, according to the agency.
The EPA’s proposal would be implemented through a state-federal partnership under which states use either current or new electricity production and pollution control policies to meet plan objectives, the release stated.
Comments on the proposal will be accepted by the EPA for 120 days after it is published in the Federal Register, and public hearings are scheduled in four cities during the week of July 28. The EPA said it will finalize plans, based on input, in June 2015.
Perspective
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Andrew W. Murphy, MD, FAAAAI
Over the past several years it has become clear that air pollution can have significant health effects — particularly in patients with asthma.
Efforts to reduce pollution levels, particularly in high risk areas, will potentially be of benefit to individuals with asthma and allergic diseases. However, these regulations must be balanced with the potential significant economic impact that may occur and may result in increased costs and lost employment.
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John J. Oppenheimer, MD, FACAAI, FAAAAI
Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways of the lung that may be exacerbated by a variety of triggers including allergens, infectious agents, as well as pollution. Furthermore, environmental pollutants may enhance the asthma exacerbating actions of allergens and viral infections.
Studies have shown that children may be more susceptible to air pollution’s effects when compared with adults. This may be due of their higher ventilation rates, as well as greater time spent outdoors. Speaking to this susceptibility, studies have shown that exposure to ozone and particulate matter have been associated with increased medication use as well as hospitalizations among children.
Thus, it is hoped that through the EPA’s proposed new rule setting carbon standards for power plant emissions, asthmatic patients will be helped through improved air quality and reduced exposure to particle pollution.
Perspective
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Tom Ferkol, MD
I would refer caregivers and patients to the recent Perspectives article published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that comprehensively reviews the many threats of climate change on lung health. For instance, warmer temperatures are associated with higher ground-level ozone levels. Ozone exposure has been linked to poorer asthma control, and even a modest rise can lead to increased medication use and urgent care visits for the management of asthma symptoms.
What often gets lost in the discussion is that lowering carbon emissions also reduces other noxious airborne pollutants, like mercury and particulate matter. By reducing carbon pollution today, our children will enjoy the immediate benefits of cleaner air while addressing a major cause of global warming.
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