EHHI Releases Original Research Report,
The Harmful Effects of Vehicle Exhaust: A Case for Policy Change
Press Release
[Hartford, Connecticut, March 1, 2006] A ground-breaking report on the
harmful effects of vehicle exhaust is being released today by Environment
and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI), a non-profit organization composed of
doctors, public health professionals and policy experts dedicated to
protecting human health from environmental harms.
The lead author of the research report, John Wargo, Ph.D.,
professor of Risk Analysis and Environmental Policy at Yale University’s
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, said, “Although we
have all grown to accept the smell of engine exhaust as part of our everyday
life, our nation is experiencing an epidemic of illnesses made worse
by air pollution. Some of the illnesses exacerbated by air pollution
are asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory illnesses.”
Connecticut’s air quality is exceptionally poor. Polluted air
flows into our state from the Midwest and from the densely populated
areas in the Northeast corridor. However, we are also polluting our own
air, as Connecticut residents now drive 31 billion miles in three million
vehicles each year. Vehicle exhaust is the largest contributor to our
state’s air pollution problems.
“Many people assume that their individual vehicle exhaust contributions
are insignificant, yet the collective effect is damaging to Connecticut’s
air and to our residents’ health,” said Susan Addiss,
past commissioner of the Conn. Department of Public Health and present
EHHI director of health education.
The technological advances made in vehicle emission reductions are currently
overwhelmed by the increases in the vehicle miles traveled. Connecticut
residents spend, on average, 70
minutes a day in their cars, often breathing polluted air. The Conn.
Department of Transportation projects that vehicle miles traveled in
Connecticut will increase a little over 22 percent in the next 16 years.
Scientific experts now believe that we face an epidemic of illnesses
made worse by air pollution. For instance, the risk of having a heart
attack is greater for those people exposed to pollution from heavy traffic
and those living near air-polluted roadways.
David Brown, Sc.D., EHHI director of public health
toxicology and past chief of Environmental Epidemiology and Occupational
Health at the Conn. Department of Public Health, noted that ozone levels
in the New England region are some of the highest in the nation. Our
entire state exceeds the federal 8-hour ozone standards. Exposures to
ozone aggravate chronic lung disease, and the association between ambient
ozone levels and increases in asthma-related emergency room visits is
well-documented.”
Robert LaCamera, M.D., clinical professor of Pediatrics
at the Yale School of Medicine and a reviewer of the study, commented, “The
American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that levels of ozone and
particulate matter are high enough in many parts of the U.S. to threaten
children’s health. With almost 10 percent of Connecticut’s
children having asthma, the seriousness of our air pollution problem
cannot be overstated.”
“Many of the chemicals in vehicle exhaust are carcinogenic, and
yet we are exposed to them each and every day,” said Nancy
Alderman, president of EHHI. “We simply must reduce our
exposures if we are to protect human health. One of the quickest and
simplest ways to do this is to simply stop the unnecessary idling of
cars and trucks. This means that when someone stops at the cleaners the
car engine is turned off, and when trucks park to make deliveries, their
engines are turned off.”
This report concludes with recommendations for all levels of government
and for individuals. These recommendations will greatly help reduce harmful
vehicle exhaust and also better protect the public’s health.
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