Reposted by Neighbors For Environmental Justice (N4EJ)
toxic plants, data centers, and also, cars!
www.npr.org/local/2022/0...
npr.org
Chicagoans living near heavy-traffic corridors breathe the most polluted air
Data from a new sensor network shows the highest rates of pollution in Little Village, Austin, Englewood, Irving Park and other neighborhoods. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: María Inés Zamudio
![What’s that Smell? Air Pollution and Your Health
What is air pollution? Air pollution is tiny bits of stuff in the air that we breathe.
Air pollution affects us even when we can’t see it or smell it.
It comes from:
cars, trucks, and trains
factories, asphalt plants, and industry
smoke from wildfires and dust blown by the wind
How does pollution impact health?
Air pollution is bad for you in many ways.
It causes health problems (like asthma)
It makes other problems worse (like heart disease)
It increases your risk of diseases (like cancer) and makes your health worse
Every year, 4.2 million people die earlier than expected because of air pollution (WHO).
How do we measure air pollution?
Air pollution is measured with air monitors - special sensors that count how much pollution is in the air around the sensor.
Most sensors measure one or two types of air pollution. The most common type measures particulate matter (PM 2.5), a mix of all the tiny particles that get into your lungs when you breathe.
Where are the air monitors in Chicago? There are official air monitors, installed by the government, and air monitors like Purple Air, installed by community groups.
The EPA AirNow program has 6 monitors in Chicago. If you see air quality numbers on your phone, it probably comes from AirNow.
Currently, there are no monitors in parts of the SE and SW sides where air pollution is the worst.
What can you do about air pollution in your community?
We are all air monitors!
Report what you smell, see, feel, taste, and any other experiences you have where you live, work and play. You can report odors and air pollution from your phone and describe them in detail using the QR code below
[Bottom corner shows a heatmap of Chicago air pollution and the location of EPA air monitors]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:52vagreyljbpbjc5brlimvfm/bafkreihuf2iokdufsi5tnb4s5ymjdfg2uj3ib6rhvobhr3p5gmwv3qkwf4)
