Brian Barton
Texas, a state with over 27 million people, has been facing air pollution issues for years. The state's air quality is impacted by emissions from vehicles, industrial facilities, and power plants, which react with hot weather to create high levels of smog and ground-level ozone, causing respiratory issues and other health problems for Texans. While there have been efforts to reduce pollution, such as the closure of coal mining sites, and cleaner technologies being introduced, the state has seen more days with unhealthy levels of smog and ozone pollution in recent years, with emissions also affecting neighbouring states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population | Almost 30 million |
| Industrial air pollutants | 23 million pounds of air pollutants over permitted limits in 2019 |
| Total unauthorised toxins discharged by companies in 2019 | 170 million pounds |
| Pollutants | Ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, benzene, butadiene, carbon monoxide |
| Health issues | Irritation of the respiratory system, exacerbation of asthma, cancer, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, asthma, irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing |
| Reduction methods | Conserving energy, limiting driving, using alternative energy sources, wind power |
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What You'll Learn
- Industrial facilities and vehicles emit harmful pollutants
- Texas's large population is vulnerable to air pollution
- Particulate matter (PM2.5) causes serious health issues
- Closing coal-burning power plants improves air quality
- Climate change increases the risk of wildfires, which cause particle pollution
Industrial facilities and vehicles emit harmful pollutants
Texas is known for its blue skies and bright summer days. However, hot weather and pollutants from industrial facilities and vehicles can make the air dirty and unhealthy, especially for Texans who are sensitive to air pollution.
A study carried out in El Paso found that air particles, gas fumes produced by motor vehicles, and industrial air pollutants reached a geometric mean of 125 µg/m³ across all sites sampled during a 30-day period. The study also found that carbon monoxide levels in the environment ranged from 0 to 18 ppm. Other contaminants such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone were also measured.
Vehicles and other mobile sources with internal combustion engines, including trucks, buses, agricultural machinery, and construction equipment, contribute to about 70% of the smog problem in Texas. When present in large quantities, particulate matter can mix with ozone and other dangerous pollutants to form polluted smog, which is harmful to human health, particularly for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
Industrial facilities in Texas have also been found to illegally pollute the air. A report by ProPublica found that an estimated 74 million Americans living near chemical plants and other industrial facilities faced an elevated risk of cancer due to air pollution. In response, the EPA has proposed tougher air pollution rules for these facilities, including stricter health standards for emissions of chloroprene and ethylene oxide.
To reduce air pollution, Texas has passed laws and imposed standards for certain contaminants. Wind power is becoming more widespread and efficient, and natural gas discoveries in the Permian Basin are further reducing the use of coal. Conserving energy, limiting driving, and transitioning to alternative energy sources can also help improve air quality and reduce toxicity in the environment.
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Texas's large population is vulnerable to air pollution
Texas is the second-largest US state by area and population, with an estimated total of 30 million residents in 2020. It has borders with Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Mexico, and a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. With such a large population, the effects of air pollution in Texas are particularly damaging.
Air pollution is a serious health threat, and Texas's large population means that millions of people are vulnerable to its effects. Children, older adults, and people with lung diseases such as asthma and COPD are especially susceptible to the negative health impacts of air pollution. People of color and those with lower incomes are disproportionately affected, putting them at higher risk for illness.
The sources of air pollution in Texas are varied. Texas's large population means there are millions of cars in use each year, contributing to air pollution. In addition, there are hundreds of factories, and on every day in 2019, an industrial facility illegally polluted the air. These industrial facilities emitted more than 23 million pounds of air pollutants over the permitted limits in 2019. Companies discharged more than 170 million pounds of unauthorised toxins into the air during that year. The main pollutants include particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, benzene, butadiene, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. These chemicals irritate the respiratory system and exacerbate asthma, and in some cases can cause cancer.
Texas's large population is also vulnerable to the effects of ozone pollution. Ozone can irritate the lungs, causing inflammation, and is particularly harmful to children and adults who spend a lot of time outdoors. Climate change increases the risk of wildfires, which spread dangerous particle pollution, and makes it harder to clean up communities with high ozone levels.
While Texas has passed laws and imposed standards for certain contaminants, and is increasing its use of wind power, the state's large population continues to be vulnerable to the damaging effects of air pollution.
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Particulate matter (PM2.5) causes serious health issues
Texas is known for its blue skies and bright summer days, but hot weather and pollutants from cars, trucks, and factories can make the air dirty and unhealthy, especially for Texans who are sensitive to air pollution. The two main contributors to poor air quality in Texas are ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10).
Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of solids and aerosols composed of small droplets of liquid, dry solid fragments, and solid cores with liquid coatings. PM2.5 is defined as fine particulate matter with particles 2.5 microns or less in diameter. To put this in perspective, the average human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter, making it 30 times larger than the largest fine particle. These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals. Some are emitted directly from sources such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks, or fires. Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries, and automobiles.
Due to their extremely small size, PM2.5 particles can be inhaled and cause serious health issues. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can penetrate deep into the lungs, and some may even enter the bloodstream. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to premature death, particularly in people with chronic heart or lung diseases, and reduced lung function growth in children. In California, PM2.5 exposure contributes to about 5,400 premature deaths due to cardiopulmonary causes per year, 2,800 hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and about 6,700 emergency room visits for asthma.
PM2.5 also contributes to reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas. It can be carried over long distances by wind and settle on the ground or water, potentially damaging materials such as stone and culturally important objects through processes similar to acid rain.
To protect yourself from the harmful effects of PM2.5, it is important to limit your exposure to smoke and stay informed about air quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) provides daily updates on outdoor air quality and associated health risks, helping individuals and community organizations adjust their activities as needed to minimize risk. Additionally, reducing energy consumption, driving less, and transitioning to alternative energy sources can help reduce air pollution and improve overall air quality.
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Closing coal-burning power plants improves air quality
Texas is the second-largest US state by area and population, with an estimated population of almost 30 million in 2020. The state shares borders with Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Texas is known for its blue skies and bright summer days, but hot weather and pollutants from cars, trucks, and factories can make the air dirty and unhealthy, especially for Texans who are sensitive to air pollution.
Ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are the two main things that can make the air unhealthy. Texas's air quality is also affected by industrial facilities that illegally pollute the air. Researchers found that companies only face financial penalties for excess emissions about 3% of the time due to an "affirmative defence" policy that exempts polluters from paying penalties if they meet certain criteria. The report looked at unauthorized emissions of chemicals such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, benzene, and butadiene, which irritate the respiratory system and exacerbate asthma and, in some circumstances, can cause cancer.
In late 2017, the closure of three coal-burning power plants in Texas kept more than 150,000 tons of dangerous, smog-forming air pollutants from entering the atmosphere in the following year. The Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) released its annual Point Source Emissions Inventory for 2018, which showed that Texas polluters emitted 152,000 fewer tons of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and other pollutants in 2018 than in 2017. This is a significant improvement in air quality, as coal consumption results in severe air pollution and health concerns.
The burning of coal generates certain air pollutants, including PM2.5, SO2, NOx, CO2, mercury, VOCs, and other heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which have devastating impacts on ambient air quality, local people, and ecosystems. In the US, poor ambient air quality in coal power plant regions affects nearly 2 million people per year, with a monetized value exceeding 100 billion USD per year. Closing three coal power plants near Pittsburgh reduced PM2.5 in the area by 9%.
To improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the phase-out of coal has been prioritized across the globe at the government level. The decline in the popularity of coal as a source of energy has meant that no inquiries have been made regarding new installations. In the USA, the coal-based electricity-generating capacity reduced dramatically from 327 GW (1024 coal power plant units) in 2000 to 259 GW (268 operating plants) in 2019, and approximately 71 GW is planned to close in the coming years. In European countries, including Finland, Spain, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, the nominal coal power plant capacity in 2019 dropped from 189 to 143 GW since 2000 in support of the 2015 Paris Agreement. As of mid-2020, several countries, such as France, Germany, and Belgium, have planned to shut down their last coal-burning power plants.
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Climate change increases the risk of wildfires, which cause particle pollution
Texas is known for its bright blue skies and hot summers, but the combination of high temperatures, pollutants from cars, trucks, and factories, and the effects of climate change can result in poor air quality. Climate change increases the risk of wildfires, which cause particle pollution.
Wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, but they are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. Warmer temperatures and drier conditions caused by climate change contribute to the spread of insects like the mountain pine beetle, which weaken or kill trees, building up fuel in forests. Climate change has also led to more frequent and severe droughts, further drying out organic matter in forests and making them more vulnerable to fires. Research shows that from 1984 to 2015, the number of large fires in the Western United States doubled due to these changing climatic conditions.
Wildfires release a range of pollutants into the atmosphere, including black carbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These pollutants can have detrimental effects on human health and the environment. Black carbon, a super pollutant, is particularly harmful, intensifying heatwaves, altering weather patterns, and accelerating the melting of ice, snow, and glaciers. The smoke from wildfires contains airborne particles that can cause eye and respiratory issues, especially in children and the elderly. Additionally, wildfires that burn in residential areas can melt plastic water pipes, leading to water contamination with known carcinogens.
The pollutants released by wildfires combine with existing air pollution, further exacerbating their harmful effects. For example, the 2023 wildfires in Chile led to increased levels of all air pollutants being recorded, with drastic increases in short-term ozone exposure. Similarly, the 2019-2021 East Siberian wildfires resulted in elevated black carbon levels in the Arctic. Wildfires contribute significantly to the vicious cycle of climate change and air pollution, perpetuating and intensifying their impacts.
To address the interconnected issues of climate change, air pollution, and wildfires, a comprehensive and joined-up approach is necessary. Breaking the vicious cycle requires tackling super pollutants like black carbon, which have driven half of global warming to date and contribute to millions of premature deaths annually. By addressing these pollutants, policymakers can offer vital solutions to combat both the climate crisis and the harmful effects of air pollution on human health and the environment.
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Frequently asked questions
Air pollution in Texas is caused by a combination of factors, including emissions from cars, trucks, industrial facilities, and coal-burning power plants.
Air pollution can cause a range of health issues, including respiratory problems such as asthma and irritation of the airways, coughing, difficulty breathing, and increased risk of lung cancer. Particle pollution can also cause heart disease, stroke, diabetes, low birth weight, and IQ loss.
Efforts are being made to reduce air pollution in Texas. For example, the closure of three coal-burning power plants in 2017 prevented over 150,000 tons of air pollutants from being released into the atmosphere. Additionally, cleaner technologies are being introduced, and individuals can take actions such as reducing energy use and limiting driving to improve air quality.
Texas is a large state with a significant population, and air pollution is widespread. However, Austin, Texas, is the largest city in the U.S. that has never violated a federal air quality standard due to proactive work to reduce pollution.
