WKSU Stories

New Study Ranks Cleveland as Worst in Ohio, Ninth in Nation for Air Pollution Death and Illness

Ideastream Public Media | By Mitch Felan

Published August 10, 2016 at 5:54 PM EDT

The city of Cleveland ranks ninth worst in the nation in air pollution-related deaths and illness, according to the study.

The Cleveland area leads the state in air pollution-related deaths and illnesses and is the ninth worst in the country, according to a study released today.

The American Thoracic Society found that 196 deaths and 487 health issues were caused by Cleveland air pollution over a two-year period beginning in 2011.

The lead author of the study, Kevin Cromar, says the city ranks so high because of two reasons.

“Cleveland has some of the largest impacts from air pollution, and part of that is because they have both ozone levels and particle pollution levels that are higher than recommended by the American Thoracic Society. So, by having health impacts from both pollutants, as well as having a fairly large population, those are characteristics of cities that have the largest estimated health impacts.”

You can find a link to the study here.