By Leah Shephard/for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

On several days this summer, Ohioans awoke to their homes and neighborhoods shrouded in haze from the smoke of wildfires burning in Nova Scotia, Canada. Experts say it's unclear whether air quality issues will continue into the fall.

The wildfires, which started in May, have since sent much of the eastern United States indoors because of air quality advisories. Bad air quality could cause health problems for vulnerable groups if it persists, experts say.

Sam Rubens, administrator of the Akron Regional Air Quality Management District of Summit County Public Health, said it depends on air flow patterns.

"The smoke stuff, from the fires in Canada," he said. "If they go out, which they're not out right now, they're still burning away, it's all based on the wind. If the wind patterns set up, then the smoke is going to come."

Rubens compared the way the smoke flows to a campfire; the smoke follows the wind.

"The smoke is going somewhere," he said. "And it's going to be affecting someone."

"Air quality in general can affect everybody, even people who have healthy lungs," said Dr. Angela Marko, a pediatric pulmonologist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. "But the main concern is for those who have underlying respiratory conditions. So, for instance, things like asthma or other chronic lung diseases."

Marko said the reason for this is that many people with these conditions already have sensitive airways and lungs, and exposure to bad air quality can trigger their disease processes. She said this can manifest in shortness of breath and asthma flare-ups.

Marko said that while the very young and very old are most affected by bad air quality, everyone is at risk from continuous exposure.

"Over time, we know that air pollution in general. . . is not great for respiratory health in general as we age, if we're continually exposed to it," she said. "And so it can put you at risk into adulthood just for having other respiratory conditions."

Marko said this can manifest in COPD, a chronic lung disease that causes obstructed airways in the lungs, and other lung conditions as an individual ages.

While Northeast Ohio has only had six unhealthy or hazardous air quality days in 20 years, Rubens said three of those have been this summer.

He said that "particulate matter," or the particles in the air that make air quality unhealthy or hazardous, is the main concern of the Summit County health department.

"The reason that we have particulate matter, or ozone, as a pollutant of concern is because there's a level at which you're okay," Rubens said. "That if you breathe in a certain level, it's not going to have a health effect."

He said, though, that those with respiratory problems, chronic ailments and children are at higher risk when breathing in pollutants. That means the threshold is lower for the amount of dangerous air these individuals can breathe in.

Rubens urged Ohioans to stay aware of bad air-quality days as the wildfires still rage.

"Just be aware of what the air quality index is showing," he said.

Woody Woodward, executive director of the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, said the impact has been "minimal" on the Ohio Parks and Recreation. He said that what concerns him most is the effect wildfires and other natural disasters may have on the environment as a whole.

"It's fairly well known that Parks and Recreation has been on the front line in terms of protecting our environment, creating clean, safe spaces for people to recreate but also really working hard to protect our natural resources," Woodward said.

He said prevention is key.

"First and foremost we want to be on the front lines in terms of preventing things from getting worse and also kind of continuing to educate the public about the dangers of climate change and kind of the path that we've headed down," Woodward said. "But also working hard to protect natural resources as we do that."


This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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Some sectors have made gains in Minnesota in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Progress has been slower for agriculture, but those pursuing solutions feel a breakthrough is near thanks to a redesign of a key farming product.

Ag experts say most fertilizers used by farmers are very carbon intensive because they're made with fossil fuels. However, Minnesota researchers have been leading the charge to phase out those elements by utilizing hydrogen from wind and solar energy in the production process.

If more farmers can take advantage of "green fertilizer", said Margaret Cherne-Hendrick, senior lead for innovation and impact at Fresh Energy, the state could be better positioned to confront troubling data.

"Agriculture accounts for about 21% of the state's greenhouse-gas emissions," she said, "and we're forecasting it's going to be one of the more difficult sectors to decarbonize."

While Minnesota government has made investments in the development of this product, including the University of Minnesota's West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, Cherne-Hendrick warned that the outcome of the presidential election could alter the landscape for federal incentives.

Meanwhile, a summit will be held Dec. 10 at the University of Minnesota Morris to discuss the future of this technology. The cleaner ammonia derived from this production can also be used for things such as shipping fuel.

Anne Schwagerl, vice president of the Minnesota Farmers Union, which is hosting the upcoming summit, said that having less-carbon intensive crops such as corn can open up more biofuel markets for farmers. And if more green fertilizer is made locally, it could enhance the presence of cooperatives.

"Minnesota has always been a leader in the cooperative movement," she said, "and this is just another opportunity for farmer ownership and rural community ownership of the things that we produce."

U.S. farmers have called attention to corporate consolidation among fertilizer companies, making prices out of reach for smaller independent operations. Next month's gathering is expected to include feedback about how to scale up the manufacturing of green fertilizer to help combat those market forces.

Utah's Great Salt Lake is shrinking, exposing more of its playa and lifting more potentially harmful dust particles into the air.

A new study seeks to understand the air quality and health impacts of the dust from the drying lake.

Kerry Kelly, associate professor of chemical engineering at Utah State University and the study's co-author, whose team took samples from the Great Salt Lake to assess what's known as the "oxidative potential" of dust particles, explained it gives researchers an indication of how materials within the dust could react with the lining of a person's lungs.

"That is important because more reactive materials and components can lead to inflammation," Kelly pointed out. "Inflammation is a very important process for all kinds of adverse health effects associated with particulate matter."

Kelly noted particulate pollution has been linked to health conditions and complications, from asthma to heart attack, stroke and even premature death. When the Great Salt Lake dust samples were compared to other regional playas, they were found to be more reactive, meaning they have a higher potential for serious health effects. Kelly added the study is the first of its kind and more research is needed to further understand the effects on air quality and public health.

Kelly asserted climate change is not the key driver to the shrinking of the Great Salt Lake. Instead, she explained, water diversions have led to the lake reaching historically low levels.

"We are taking the water, it's not making it to the lake," Kelly observed. "All of us -- residential, and commercial consumers -- we need to do our part but agriculture is about two-thirds of the story, so we're definitely going to have to work on agriculture."

Kelly stressed increasing dust storms are a concern in the Salt Lake Valley, located west of Utah's densely populated Wasatch Front. The research showed four to five dust storms occur in northern Utah every year, which transport metal-contaminated dust. For such situations, Kelly recommended staying inside and using a mask if you must leave the house.

With school in full swing, many Arizona students will take the bus to school.

Earlier this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $900 million of Clean School Bus Program funding to more than 500 districts across the country, some of which came to Arizona.

Currently, Arizona has secured 155 electric school buses, according to the Electric School Bus Initiative.

Hazel Chandler, Arizona State field organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, said smaller school districts in the state received enough funding to replace half their fleets.

She added that school districts are now looking to alternative avenues to continue transitioning.

"Some of them are using utility money, a lot of them are using bond money," said Chandler. "So they might have gotten a couple, or maybe three of four initially - but then they love them so much, and the families and kids love them so much they just continue to approve them."

Chandler said electric school buses, or ESB's, are game changers for students with asthma as they eliminate tailpipe emissions.

She added that the buses are also quieter, meaning a less chaotic ride for bus drivers and students. Chandler said while the federal government has done its part, more can be done.

She contended states could invest more to ensure ESB's are a top priority.

Brittany Barrett - deputy director with World Resources Institute overseeing their ESB Initiative - said older, polluting buses have disproportionately operated in school districts with more people of color, low-income households, and in rural areas.

But data from the institute show that since 2022, most ESB commitments have been allocated to serve those at higher risk of poorer air quality.

Barrett said limited funding, rebates, and grants are still available - and encourages districts to act.

"There are different ways to deploy buses within their range capacity," said Barrett, "that can ensure that the benefits of this transition happen first to those communities who need it the most."

Kevin Matthews is the head of electrification with First Student, which has committed to electrify 30,000 electric school buses by 2035 - resulting in a reduction of over 1.6 million pounds of greenhouse gases.

Matthews said while ESBs may have a costlier initial price tag, the cost savings are undeniable.

"This is primarily driven by lower cost of fuel," said Matthews. "Lower liquid changes like motor oils, engine cooling, those types of issues. Less wear and tear on brakes. So this is a significant change in that area."




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