Column: Clean Air Month draws attention to asthma, air quality concerns
By Sally McGinty
May 4-8 marked Air Quality Awareness Week, a national campaign organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal partners to help people better understand air quality and how it affects daily life.
In Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources also recognizes May as Clean Air Month, emphasizing the importance of clean air and its impact on public health and the environment. May is also observed as Asthma Awareness Month.
Asthma and air quality are closely connected. Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways, often leading to wheezing, coughing and breathing difficulties.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Health, Portage County recorded 222 asthma-related emergency department visits in 2024. Statewide, there were more than 16,000 such visits.
Many asthma attacks are triggered by factors such as exercise, pollen, viral infections, weather, tobacco smoke and poor air quality.
Two major contributors to poor outdoor air quality are ground-level ozone and particulate matter.
Ground-level ozone forms when emissions from vehicles and industrial activity react with heat and sunlight. Health experts say ozone pollution can cause coughing, breathing problems and long-term lung damage. It can also worsen asthma and other chronic lung conditions.
Particulate matter includes tiny particles in the air, such as smoke, dust and aerosols. These pollutants come from sources including vehicles, factories, power plants, wildfires and other everyday activities.
Health officials say particle pollution has been linked to asthma attacks, reduced lung function, heart attacks, strokes and other serious health issues.
In Wisconsin, the DNR operates a statewide air monitoring network that tracks ozone and fine particle pollution. One ozone monitor and one PM2.5 monitor are located at Lake Dubay.
The DNR also provides online air quality forecasts and maps using monitoring data and weather information. Air quality advisories are issued by county when conditions may pose health risks, particularly for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.