THE POLLUTION PROBLEM

Air Quality is a serious issue for Tennesseans, affecting our health, our landscape, and our economy. In fact, more than half of Tennessee residents live in areas where air pollution is a problem, whether they know it or not.

• Cars, trucks, and other transportation cause a huge part of the air pollution problem in Tennessee. Vehicle emissions make up 31% of the carbon dioxide, 81% of the carbon monoxide, and 49% of the nitrogen oxide in the air we breathe.
• In a single day, the average person inhales about 3,000 gallons of air.
• Diesel exhaust contains over 40 substances that are considered dangerous by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• When you're driving in traffic, the pollution isn't just outside. It comes right back into your car, making the driver's seat a pretty unhealthy environment.
• The pollution created by vehicle emissions harms our natural environment and causes long-term damage to vegetation, soil, farms and forests. Air pollution is responsible for a loss of about $500 million per year in crops across the United States.
• Personal vehicles emit about one pound of pollutants for every mile driven. On average, that's about 6 tons of pollution produced per vehicle per year!

• Breathing polluted air over time can reduce your life expectancy by 2 to 3 years.
• The health risks of air pollution include:
  • aggravated allergies
  • heart disease
  • eye and respiratory irritation
  • decreases in lung capacity
  • permanent scarring of the lungs
  • asthma
  • bronchitis
  • premature death
• Scientists estimate that the number of pollution-influenced deaths in the US can be anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 per year.

• Kids breathe one and a half times more air than adults do per pound of body weight. They're more active, their bodies are growing and developing, and they naturally breathe deeper and faster.
• Exposure to poisons in the air is even more dangerous for children, and can cause permanent lung tissue scarring and damage.
• Kids make up almost half of the cases of asthma in the U.S, a problem caused and exacerbated by poor air quality like Tennessee's.
• One of the most dangerous sources of air pollution for kids is the before- and after-school pick-up line. Diesel fumes from buses and emissions from idling parent vehicles near the school create heavy clouds of pollution, right at kid-level.

• Nitrogen Oxide, or NOx, describes harmful compounds made up of nitrogen and oxygen. NOx is formed when fuel burns at high temperatures, and mobile sources emit more than half of all NOx in the United States. NOx is one of the components of ground-level ozone, smog, and particulate matter, and it's a serious health risk.
• Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOCs, are organic chemical compounds that mix with other airborne pollutants like NOx to create ground-level ozone. VOCs are released into the air when fuel is burned and also when it evaporates—like when you're refueling your vehicle, especially during the heat of the day.
• Ozone: Ground-level ozone is not to be confused with atmospheric ozone:
  • The atmospheric ozone layer occurs naturally. It's a part of the upper atmosphere and it protects us from the sun's ultraviolet radiation.
  • Ground-level ozone, however, is not so good. It's a poisonous pollutant and the main ingredient in smog. Ground-level ozone is not naturally occurring—it's created when NOx and VOCs combine and are heated by the sun. Ground-level ozone can reduce lung functioning in healthy adults by as much as 20 percent.
• Carbon Monoxide: CO is completely and dangerously undercover: colorless, odorless, and poisonous. Over half of the carbon monoxide emissions in the US are produced by vehicle exhaust, and that number climbs much closer to 100 percent in urban areas. CO is dangerous, interfering with the way oxygen travels in the bloodstream. It can even cause central nervous system damage.
• Particulate Matter: PM is a term that describes solid and liquid particles suspended in the air. PM 2.5 is less than 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter, and is generated by fuel combustion. PM 2.5 is a major health risk: these particles pass through the nose and throat and lodge in the lungs, causing tissue damage, aggravating respiratory problems, and even causing premature death.