1. Clean Air Training for the Upper Midwest PowerPoint Training Course (18 slides)
Contributions from…
Charles Stanier
Cori Burbach
Mary Rose Corrigan
Can Dong
Chandra Ravada
Holly McPherson
Paul Schultz
Jalee Frommelt
This training comes in multiple lengths. It is maintained by Charles Stanier at the University of Iowa with the assistance of CLE4R partners.
Feel free to view, edit, and reuse materials from the presentation.
This version was last edited Jan 31, 2018.
Our goal is to update the slides one or two times per year.
Versions
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20 minute (30 slides)
12 minute (18 slides)
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2. This publication was developed under Assistance Agreement No
This publication was developed under Assistance Agreement No. NE awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in this document are solely those of the University of Iowa and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned in this publication.

3. Air Quality is Important to Eastern Iowa
Why should we care?
People’s health
Child development
Attract businesses and people
Clean Air might not be on the top of everyone’s list of important factors in a community – but clean air has benefits listed above. Dirty air has significant negative consequences. And new research shows benefits of clean air extend to very clean locations. Making a clean location even cleaner has been shown to improve health and productivity.
Stronger trees and crops
Avoid regulations, permits and limits triggered by bad air quality

4. Big Idea 1: The Air Quality Index – a colored scale where 100 is the level of concern – is a good tool. We will use it throughout this training.
The Air Quality Index – a colored scale where 100 is the level of concern – is a good tool. We will use it throughout this training

5. Quad Cities (Davenport) AQI 40
Big Idea 2: Eastern Iowa Air Quality is IMPROVING OVER TIME, and generally GOOD
Cedar Rapids AQI 37
Dubuque/Potosi AQI 41
Quad Cities (Davenport) AQI 40
For more information on the improvements, I recommend the Iowa DNR website at
Look for the Air Quality Trends report.
Values are avg.
Iowa City AQI 37

6. Big Idea 3: Dubuque has available hand-held, mapping air quality monitors for schools and the public
Using an EPA Environmental Education grant, the University of Iowa, the City of Dubuque, and the Dubuque Community School District purchased AirBeam monitors that can monitor particulate matter in air, as well as map and record the levels. You will learn more about this in the training.

7. Health Effects of Air Pollution

8. Two types of Air Pollution
Two types of pollution in region are
Ozone – a colorless gas that can harm your lungs
Fine Particulate Matter, often called PM2.5 because it is smaller than 2 ½ microns in size
This training focuses mostly on PM2.5 air pollution
So what is PM 2.5? PM 2.5 refers to the size of the particle in the air (as illustrated by this graphic- PM 2.5 particles are smaller- finer than even dust, pollen and mold particles. Examples are particulates from Combustion, particles and gases: Sulfates, Nitrates, Ammonium, Organics, carbon and Metals. Sources can be both local and regional. Local/Direct sources include combustion of coal, oil, gasoline, diesel and wood combustion. Secondary sources include Atmospheric transformation of sulfates and nitrates. Regional distribution can occur over 100s of miles.
everyone is susceptible to the negative health impacts of air pollution. Some groups are more at risk to suffer from air pollution:
Children: more likely to be active; breathe more air per pound, bodies still developing
Older Adults: greater prevalence of heart and lung disease, along with weakened heart and lungs
Active Adults: Outdoors, higher respiration rates
People with heart or lung disease- conditions that make them vulnerable
Much research has been done around PM 2.5 and the health effects, even as much as how elevated levels of PM 2.5 exposure from lifetime, days or weeks.
can impact heart and lung conditions and cardiovascular effects

9. PM2.5 Has Serious Health Effects
Long Term Effects (Acting over many years)
Heart Disease
Short Term Effects (Hours to days)
Asthma Attacks, Heart Attacks, Lung Infections and breathing trouble for those with lung and heart problems
To protect against this – we try to keep our air clean

10. Some Groups Are More at Risk
9/1/2009
Some Groups Are More at Risk
People with heart or lung disease
Conditions make them vulnerable
Older adults
Greater prevalence of heart and lung disease
Children
More likely to be active
Breathe more air per pound
Bodies still developing
Pregnant Women
Groups of people particularly at risk from fine particle pollution are:
people with heart or lung diseases, such as congestive heart disease, coronary artery disease, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Older adults
and children.
These groups each include tens of millions of people.
Together, these three groups may make up as much as 40% of America's total population. However, not all of these people live in areas with unhealthy particle levels. People in these sensitive groups who live in areas with good air quality, for example, would be at lower risk than those living in polluted areas.
And there is some overlap in the groups. People with heart or lung diseases include a large proportion of older adults and children, for example.
Although HEALTHY people, including children, are unlikely to experience serious effects, they may experience respiratory symptoms like those I described a moment ago. Particulate matter can also increase one's susceptibility to respiratory infections.

11. Checking Your Air Quality

12. Air Quality Index Find out the level at http://www.airnow.gov/
Or at the CLE4R Website where we have national and local resources, and instructions to sign up for and text alerts
Air Quality Index (AQI) is used by government agencies
to tell the public how clean or polluted the air currently is.

13. At the Dubuque-Potosi monitor, fine Particulate Matter levels have improved significantly since 2009

14. On a cell phone or tablet?
We recommend accessing through your device’s browser
The EPA mobile app is not recommended due to limitations and a lack of user-friendliness
The best app we have found is probably AirVisual
Here are two screen captures from the AirVisual app

15. Learning More and Taking Action

16. Many different sources
contribute to
air pollution
Source: Jim McGraw, IDNR

17. Citizens, Scientists, and Government Health Officials Measure Air Quality
An official state monitor in Iowa
Handheld monitors that you can check out
Contact or

18. What you can do?
Know where to find information about air quality such as your AQI
Know your sensitive groups. Watch out for them
Work with your employer, schools, and local government to reduce pollution & save energy
Ask for a presentation from CLE4R or your health department
Get AirBeam monitors and use them. They’re free and public. Contact
Limit backyard burning and follow all local ordinances about it
Know your protective actions for each AQI level
Support street cleaning and vehicle retrofit/trade-in programs

19. Thank You! Resources: charles-stanier@uiowa.edu
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Thank You!