Last month, Franziska Rosser, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonology, testified before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), arguing for stricter standards for federal health standards for pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone. The full story of her testimony and subsequent commentary can be found here, at the New Pittsburgh Courier.
As a result of its history of power plants, steel mills, and chemical manufacturing, Allegheny County, and the greater Southwestern Pennsylvania region, suffers from among the worst air quality in the US for year-round particle pollution. This ongoing pollution problem has led the region to sit in the top 1% of US countries for cancer risk. The region also ranks among the highest in the country for rates of asthma (Allegheny County has the second highest rates of asthma in Pennsylvania, and is above the national average), COPD, and cardiovascular disease, especially among low-income communities of color.
While Allegheny County is engaged in ongoing efforts to improve air quality, many environmental and community groups argue not enough is being done. Rosser, in her testimony pushed the EPA to adopt regulations for PM2.5 in line with guidance from the American Thoracic Society (ATS).
“Research clearly shows that adopting stricter standards will better protect the health of our patients and communities,” Rosser explains.
Earlier this year, Rosser published research on this topic in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology. Titled, “Ozone and childhood respiratory health: A primer for US pediatric providers and a call for a more protective standard,” Rosser’s work investigates the issue of the lack of education for providers around the effects of air pollutants in children’s health. She further reviews the inadequacies of US air pollution regulations, discusses the harms of ground-level ozone for healthy children and those with underlying respiratory diseases, and highlights the need for further standards in order to protect children’s respiratory health.
While the decision to enforce stricter guidelines or not is up to national and state-level policymakers, Rosser suggests in the meantime, that parents can download an app called AirNow, which provides up-to-the-day information about the air quality of any given zip code, among other basic guidance.
Pitt Pediatrics is proud of Rosser and her efforts to improve care and quality of life for the children of our Western Pennsylvania region. Follow Pitt Pediatrics on Twitter for ongoing updates about our Department’s efforts to improve our community’s health and health equity.