Introduction
         Indiana’s prosperity and our quality of life depend greatly on the quality of our environment.  Our population has more than doubled in this century.  Manufacturing is a big part of Indiana’s economy.  As a state, we have made great efforts in recent years to improve and protect our environment.  As a result, our air is much cleaner.  Our rivers and lakes are less polluted.  We manage our dangerous waste products more safely.  Polluted sites are being cleaned up, and all of us have increased our awareness about how we affect our environment.  Some problems have been solved:  Lead is out of our gasoline and paint, phosphorous contamination of surface water has decreased, wastewater treatment has improved, and landfills are now properly built and managed.  Progress has been made in the past 20 years, but many environmental challenges remain.

     Too many Hoosier’s still breathe unhealthy air or live near threatened waters or contaminated sites.  Each year valuable farmlands, forests, lakes and wetlands are threatened or lost by the ongoing growth and movement of our population.  Our collective commitment to protect our environment must grow along with our expectations for a better life for ourselves and our children.  We all want a high quality of life, which includes a high quality economy and a high quality environment.    To continue to clean our air we must integrate smart environmental decision-making into business and government planning, prevent pollution whenever possible, better manage the stresses created by urban development and rural activities; and minimize effects of chemicals on the environment.

     Indiana’s air has become significantly cleaner in the last 10 years.  Stricter standards and better compliance by industry have reduced smog and dust levels and improved visibility.  Indiana’s air meets health standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead, dust and soot across the state.  However, in some parts of the state, ozone levels still exceed federal standards.  Levels of toxic chemicals, for which there are no federal standards, also are of concern in Indiana.  Air pollution has numerous health effects.  Children, the elderly and people with lung diseases are especially susceptible to health complications from air pollution.    Pollutants in the air we breathe can cause a scratchy throat, coughing, difficulty breathing, watery eyes, inflamed lung tissue, aggravated asthma, lung disease, cancer, reduced immune defenses and other problems.  Air pollution comes from motor vehicles, industry and many other everyday activities.
 

Ozone
     Ozone in the upper atmosphere is the “good” ozone that protects us from the sun’s radiation.  Ground-level ozone, which is formed when volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (Nox) and sunlight mix, is the “bad” ozone that irritates the lungs and causes significant health problems for many people.  Ozone is an air quality problem in the summer months when temperature and sunlight are the greatest.  Ozone can lead to reduced lung function, increased respiratory inflammation, coughing, chest pain and nausea.  Until 1997, the nation’s ozone standard was 125 parts per billion, measured over one hour.  When a monitor in an area exceeded the standard more than once a year, the area did not attain the standard.  In July 1997, EPA established a more stringent ozone standard based on health studies addressing longer term exposure.  This standard requires concentrations of less than 85 parts per billion, measured over eight hours, and more closely reflects exposure to people who work and play outside in the summer.  The one hour standard remains in effect for Lake, Porter, Clark, and Floyd counties.  This in essence means that 60 percent (%) of Indiana’s population lives in areas that likely will not meet the imposed eight hour standard for ozone.  Ozone levels are typically higher in urban areas that are densely populated.

Motor Vehicle Emissions
    Motor vehicles, manufacturing and other industrial activities emit nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds that react in sunlight to form ozone.  Pollutants that cause ozone include gasoline vapors, chemical solvents and combustible fuels.  Additionally, emissions of nitrogen oxides from smoke stacks can travel downwind and increase ozone levels in surrounding urban and rural areas.  Ozone is generated locally and is transported from upwind sources.  Ozone and the pollutants that form ozone can be carried significant distances downwind from their points of origin.  Ozone is generated primarily within urban areas and is transported across county, state and national boundaries.  Indiana’s cars, factories and other human activities generate ozone that is transported within Indiana and to other states.  In turn, the ozone generated by our neighboring states is carried across our borders and affects the quality of air Indiana’s citizens breathe.  Consequently, the areas in Indiana that do not meet health standards for ozone cannot fully solve their own ozone problems by themselves.

Sulfur Dioxide
     Sulfur dioxide is a primary component of acid rain.  Sulfur dioxide air quality in Indiana has improved and all areas of Indiana currently meet federal health standards for sulfur dioxide.  Indiana’s annual sulfur dioxide emissions from coal –fired power plants have fallen from more than 1.5 million tons in 1980 to approximately 0.5 million tons in 1996.  Many Indiana power plants have greatly reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by investing in air pollution control equipment such as scrubbers, using low-sulfur coal and maximizing use of lower polluting boilers.

Carbon Monoxide
     Carbon monoxide in the bloodstream reduces the flow of oxygen to tissues and organs, reducing vision and coordination and causing dizziness and reduced learning disability.  Carbon monoxide is formed from incomplete combustion.  Sources of carbon monoxide include vehicles, industrial processes and fuel combustion in boilers and incinerators.  All areas of Indiana currently meet federal health standards for carbon monoxide.  Carbon monoxide levels continue to improve primarily due to stricter emission standards for new cars and improved combustion techniques and emission controls.  Levels of carbon monoxide have generally declined since the mid 1980s, with a slight increase since 1996.  In areas such as East Chicago, where levels of carbon monoxide were below the eight-hour standard but often above the Indiana composite average, carbon monoxide levels have decreased overall since the mid 1980s.

Lead
     Excessive exposure to lead can result in lead poisoning and elevated blood lead levels, which may damage mental and physical attributes in children.  While in the past the major source of lead was motor vehicles, the prohibition of leaded gasoline has significantly lowered lead levels.  The remaining sources are facilities that process or produce materials that contain lead.  Aggressive state rules that limit emissions from these facilities have helped assure that no areas of Indiana have unhealthy lead levels in the air.  Levels of lead in Indiana’s air have fallen dramatically since the mid 1980s, however, since 1995, there has been a slight increase in lead levels statewide.

Particulates
     Particulates are small pieces of aerosol mists, dust, dirt and soot emitted by sources such as cars, trucks, construction projects, factories, unpaved roads, fireplaces and wood stoves.  Older adults, children and people with chronic lung disease are especially sensitive to particulates.  The smallest particulates pose the most serious health threat because they can be inhaled more deeply into the lungs and are more difficult to exhale.  In 1997, EPA established a new standard for particulates less than 2.5 micrometer (PD 2.5), or 25 times narrower than a strand of human hair.  Like other states, Indiana has just established sites at 40 locations statewide to monitor for PM.  After three years of data has been collected, IDEM and EPA will determine whether any areas in Indiana exceed the new health standard for small particulates.

Global Warming
     Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons, trap the earth’s heat and are thought by many scientists to be the cause of rising global temperatures.  Global warming  could change rain and temperature patterns and may affect Indiana’s agriculture and quality of life.   Carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, occurs naturally, is exhaled by humans and animals, and is created by the combustion of fossil fuels.  The global concentration of carbon dioxide has increased significantly in the modern industrial age.  Energy conservation and the use of nonfossil fuels are ways to decrease the production of carbon dioxide.

     In 1990, Indiana sources emitted about 230 million tons of carbon dioxide, nearly 4 percent of the nation’s total.  Indiana ranks ninth among the states in carbon dioxide emissions.

Acid Rain
     Acid rain results from reactions involving sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides and rainfall.  While natural sources such as decaying plant life and volcanic eruptions contribute to acid rain, human sources, including the burning of fossil fuels an dmotor vehicle emissions, cause most acid rain.  Acid rain harms our acquatic life, causes the decay and corrosion of cars, paits, buildings, and statues and damages forests and crops by affecting soil nutrients and killing essential bacteria.  Acid rain does not cause significant problems for much of Indiana because soils and waterways are limestone based and act as a natural buffer to acidic rainfall.  Also, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions have been greatly reduced in recent years.

Air Quality Index
    The Air Quality Index (AQI ) is a national index, so the values and colors used to show local air quality and the associated level of health concern will be the same everywhere you go in the U.S. Look for the AQI to be reported in your local newspaper, on television and radio, on the Internet, and on state and local telephone hotlines.  Your local television or radio weathercasters may use the AQI to provide information about air quality in your area. Here’s the type of report you might hear:
 

“The Air Quality Index today was 160, a code red day.  Air quality was unhealthy due to ozone. Hot, sunnyweather and stagnant air caused ozone in Center City to rise to unhealthy levels. Children and people with asthma are the groups most at risk”.

 
“Tomorrow, the AQI for Center City is predicted to be between 160 and 170, a code red day. This means that air pollution will be at unhealthy levels. The combination of cold winter air and morning rush-hour traffic will cause carbon monoxide to rise to unhealthy levels. People with heart disease should plan to limit moderate exertion and avoid sources of carbon monoxide, such as heavy traffic”..

    In many U.S. communities, AQI values are mostly below 100, with values greater than 100 occurring several times a year. Several metropolitan areas in the United States have more severe air pollution problems, and the AQI in these areas may often exceed 100. AQI values higher than 200 are very infrequent, and AQI values above 300 are extremely rare. AQI values can vary significantly from one season to another. In winter, for example, carbon monoxide is likely to be the pollutant with the highest AQI values in some areas, because cold weather makes it difficult for car emission control systems to operate effectively.  In summer, ozone is the most significant air pollutant in many communities, since it forms in the presence of heat and sunlight.  AQI values also can vary depending on the time of day.  For example, ozone levels often peak in the afternoon, while carbon monoxide is usually a problem during morning or evening rush hours.

                                                    0-50                                    Good
                                                    51-100                                Moderate
                                                    101-150                    Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
                                                                                                Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged
                                                                                                outdoor exertion.  Active children and adults, and people with
                                                                                                respiratory diseases, such as asthma, should limit prolonged
                                                                                                outdoor exertion.
                                                    151-200                    Unhealthy
                                                                                                Active children and adults, and peolpe with respiratory diseases,

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http://www.iun.edu/~environw/index.htm
Comments:  Ellen Szarleta
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity