Legacy of the Lung

By Andrew Montgomery

June 12, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic raging around the world has had a dramatic effect on public health. It has also had a major impact on the environment. The correlation between environmental pollution and public health is becoming increasingly evident. Research suggests a small increase in air pollution can make the coronavirus more deadly.

A recent study from Harvard linked the levels of air pollution to the mortality rate of the virus. The study found that higher levels of airborne fine particulate matter were associated with an 8% increase in the COVID-19 death rate. Long-term exposure to these tiny particles in the atmosphere can lead to respiratory illness and other complications.

The problematic particles are less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, nearly 30 times smaller than a strand of hair, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They come from a variety of sources including power plants, industries and automobiles.

A study of Northern Italy found that persistent or chronic air pollution contributed to the high rate of death in the region. The “upper airways[sic] defenses could have been weakened both by age and chronic exposure to air pollution, which, in turn, could facilitate virus invasion by allowing [the] virus [to] reach lower airways,” according to the study.

This study also concluded that temporary decreases in air pollution levels are not enough to reverse the effects that lead to higher death rates and many people will still suffer from continual health problems and damage to their immune systems from long-term air pollution.

Temporary decreases in air pollution levels are not enough to reverse the effects

The pandemic and the resulting shutdown of non-essential businesses has reduced air pollution primarily in cities. Compared to the last five years, levels of nitrogen oxide had decreased by 36% and carbon monoxide by 26% in downtown Seattle as of March, said Andrew Wineke, the communications manager for the air quality program at the Washington State Department of Ecology.

In Washington State, the largest reductions are expected in urban areas where vehicle traffic is responsible for a majority of the pollution, said Seth Preston, communications program manager at the Northwest Clean Air Agency (NWCAA), which is based in Mount Vernon.

Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties, where the NWCAA monitors air quality, may experience the most notable decrease in pollution around Interstate 5, said Preston. These decreases are not the case everywhere, however.

Large industrial areas continue to operate and more people are using wood stoves and burning yard waste while they stay home, Preston said.

“We’ve received complaints from some people who are being impacted by smoke because they are at home while neighbors are burning,” said Preston. “We are urging people to avoid unnecessary burning to reduce the risk of impacts on air quality and public health.”

In some areas of Seattle, such as the Georgetown and South Park neighborhoods, air pollution has actually increased, said Troy Abel, a professor of environmental policy at Huxley College on the Peninsulas. This increase in pollution may be related to local hotspots of industry, Abel said.

In the Georgetown neighborhood, Rosario-Maria Medina finds herself having to sweep black dust off of her window sills almost every day because of the pollution in the area. Medina hoped that the stay-at-home order would allow her to clean less often because of a reduction in pollution, but that has not been the case. This is particularly concerning to Medina, as several members of her family have pre-existing respiratory health issues.

The pollution in Georgetown is exacerbated by the recent closure of the West Seattle Bridge for repairs, according to an update from Seattle Councilmember Lisa Herbold. This led to an increase in traffic in Georgetown as drivers seek alternate routes through the neighborhood.

Pollution has been a long-standing issue in the Georgetown area, Medina said. Industry and traffic have created ongoing air quality issues in the neighborhood. These long-term issues could be contributing to the fatality rate of COVID-19 in the area, according to recent studies from Harvard and Northern Italy.

The Harvard study examined pollution data from as far back as 2000 and found long-term pollution levels are correlated with high fatality rates of COVID-19. The study found people who lived for several years in areas with higher levels of air pollution are more susceptible to respiratory diseases like COVID-19.

“The problems that exacerbate things like the coronavirus are the same problems that we need to solve going forward.”

“The problems that exacerbate things like the coronavirus are the same problems that we need to solve going forward,” said Nick Abraham, communications director for an environmental group, the Washington Environmental Council.

The respiratory diseases that may contribute to higher COVID-19 death rates come from the built environment, Abraham said.

The increased residential burning might also be contributing to a worsening of the wildfire season in northwest Washington, Preston said. He added that it has been very dry and the wildfire season started early this year, with some fires starting in early April. It typically doesn’t start until May.

“[W]e are asking people to do whatever they can to avoid increasing the risk of starting wildfires,” Preston said.

The changes to pollution patterns and their effect on public health and safety are particularly relevant in light of recent announcements made by the EPA and the Washington Department of Ecology. On March 26, the EPA announced that it would be relaxing its enforcement and reporting policies on pollution during the pandemic. The following day, Ecology followed suit with a similar announcement.

“I think it’s a huge, huge mistake,” Abraham said about the EPA changing their enforcement standards. “These protections in place are what keep people healthy and safe.”