May 12 11
What the American Lung Association says about Tennessee’s Air Quality
In order for a person to keep his or her lungs healthy, he or she must breathe air that is of good quality. According to a report done in 2010 by the American Lung Association, Tennessee is not the best place for quality air. Knoxville is the city where the air quality is the worst. According to the report, Knoxville ranks 14th in the nation in ozone pollution and 21st in other air pollution. This is a call for concern because breathing this type of air predisposes a person to many serious health conditions including irregular heartbeat, asthma and heart attacks. Even though these conditions can affect anyone, those who are at the greatest risk are children, elderly and those who already have a preexisting condition.
Health experts and environmentalists have made some suggestions that can help remedy this problem. They advise people to use less electricity, not burn wood or trash and make sure that the school buses are clean. There has also been effort made to clean up power plants so they do not emit so much pollution into the air. Even though the residents of Knoxville is making effort to clean up the air, they have still have a long way to go.