COLUMBUS – Ohio ranks high on the list of areas where smog and pollen combine to threaten respiratory health.
A mapping project by the Natural Resources Defense Council puts the Buckeye State at number six in the U.S. for the percentage of the population subject to the “double whammy” of smog and ragweed pollen, says Kim Knowlton, senior scientist at NRDC.
The production of ozone, which irritates the lungs, is accelerated by the warmer temperatures caused by carbon pollution, she said.
Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air also have a direct impact on allergy sufferers.
“Ragweed loves it,” Knowlton said. “Ragweed grows more lush, more profuse and, unfortunately, it produces significantly more pollen.”
The report says nearly 70 percent of Ohioans live in counties with high concentrations of ozone smog and pollen.
Nine hundred thousand Ohio adults and 180,000 children suffer from asthma.
The project makes several recommendations, including a call for federal, state and local governments to prepare for the health threats of climate change.