Aviation Air Pollution Including Helicopters

Close 1d2 NOW! WARNING: 1d2 Piston Engine Aircraft Including Helicopters Emit Dangerous Lead Emissions  and Particulate Air Pollution in the Wayne County, Dearborn-Livonia Corridor that Threatens Everyone’s Health! NOW is the time to close 1d2!

Piston Engine Aircraft and Helicopters generate combined high hydrocarbon, green house gas emissions, particulates and especially toxic lead pollution, are 4 to 16 less efficient than an average car, and have substantially higher operating costs compared to other transportation options (airline, bus, car, train)!

More than nine out of 10 people worldwide live in areas with excessive air pollution, contributing to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other problems, says the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO goes on to say that one in nine deaths worldwide is linked to pollution​.

Some 3 million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6% of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together.

Ninety-four per cent are due to non-communicable diseases – notably cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Air pollution also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections.

“Air pollution continues take a toll on the health of the most vulnerable populations – women, children and the older adults,” adds Dr Bustreo of WHO. “For people to be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their first breath to their last.”

Major sources of air and lead pollution include inefficient, wasteful, non-essential, wasteful modes of transportation using combustion engines, household fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants, and industrial activities.

The average car today traveling 60 miles in an hour consumes roughly 2 gallons of gas. Piston driven aircraft and helicopters consume anywhere from a minimum of 8 to 32 gallons per hour, plus roughly a minimum 1 quart of oil every three flying hours or more for larger piston engine aircraft and helicopters.

Helicopters and small aircraft that are 4 to 16 times less efficient, and are considered by many to be wasteful when not absolutely necessary. This comparison this does NOT include the oil usage when comparing to a car. As a side note, doctors and aviation experts argue about the ROI on helicopter usage in Medical Helicopters: Worth the Cost, Risk? – ABC News, and other safety problems concerning the high crash rates of medical helicopters, and helicopters in general. 

The Journal of Trauma,  Injury, Infection, and Critical Care published the article Medical Helicopter Accidents in the United States: A 10-Year Review that concludes that there was a steady and marked increase in the number of medical helicopter accidents in the United States. These findings are worrisome in light of recent research that has indicated use of medical helicopters may be excessive and non-beneficial for most patients (J Trauma 2004;56:1325–1329).

Air Pollution researchers found that 9,320 lives might be saved and 151,113 fewer impacted days annually by reducing air pollution to levels below what the Environmental Protection Agency currently requires. In addition, 21,400 serious health conditions, such as non-fatal heart attacks, might also be avoided, according to the study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. The researchers also looked at their data city by city to see where decreases in pollution levels might make the biggest difference.

This table shows Detroit (Dearborn-Livonia corridor) with 92 avoided deaths, 205 avoided morbidities. For this list, “Mortality” represents the number of lives that would be saved, and “Major Morbidity” represents the number of serious health conditions that would be prevented.

Ozone and other pollutants such as lead show that in Michigan overall and the Detroit (Dearborn-Livonia corridor) are among some of the highest mortality rates in the country. Increasing pollution is threatening our health and well being even more. This shows up in the form of excess mortality (death) rates.

The group also created a search function that allows users to find air quality levels by zip code and an interactive map. Everyone should take notice that we all need to act on preventing more pollution now, it’s just getting worse.

92% of the world breathes polluted air, about 3 million deaths each year can be linked to directly exposure to outdoor air pollution. “What is still surprising is the fact that we have been alerting about these horrible figures for a while now, and it’s not improving,” From 2008 to 2013, global urban air pollution levels rose by 8%, despite improvements in some regions, according to the WHO.

The world needs cleaner and renewable energy. In the urban areas where combustion engines, including piston driven aircraft and helicopters are a prevalent source of local air pollution, efforts should be made to reduce the number of vehicles, small aircraft and helicopters by limiting unnecessary, non-critical usage, sharing rides, biking and using public transportation and electric vehicles.

New – Updates, References, etc.

Air pollution exposure may hasten death, even at levels deemed ‘safe,’ study says
http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-air-pollution-death-20170628-story.html

Warren Wetlands Dnr Project – Canton, Michigan – Wildlife Sanctuary | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warren-Wetlands-Dnr-Project/806158192766324
Warren Wetlands DNR project, on Warren Road between Sheldon Road and North Canton Center Road, and other wetlands being contaminated by piston engine helicopter and airplane emissions at 1d2, including toxic lead dust

Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – Wetlands Map Viewer
http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/wetlands/mcgiMap.html?action=xy&lon=-83.45936&lat=42.33712

Column: AG Schuette must protect clean air
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2017/05/21/abdullah-hammoud-ak-steel/101991646/

New waste plant piles on pollution in SW Detroit
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2017/05/09/detroit-waste-conversion-plant-air-pollution/101328136/

The Deaths of Millions of Trees Endanger the Lives of Thousands of Humans | WIRED
https://www.wired.com/2017/05/trees-will-die-will/

Plane Exhaust Kills More People Than Plane Crashes http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101005-planes-pollution-deaths-science-environment/

Reference

References and Further reading.

American Thoracic Society and Marron Institute Report, Estimated Excess Morbidity and Mortality Caused by Air Pollution above American Thoracic Society–Recommended Standards, 2011–2013
http://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/journal/health-of-the-air-ats-nyu.pdf

WHO | Ambient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and burden of disease
http://www.who.int/phe/publications/air-pollution-global-assessment/en/

Global ambient air pollution [an interactive map]
http://maps.who.int/airpollution/

WHO | 7 million premature deaths annually linked to air pollution
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/air-pollution/en/

WHO | Air pollution levels rising in many of the world’s poorest cities
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/air-pollution-rising/en/

Particulate Matter (PM) Pollution | US EPA
https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution

Most of the world breathes polluted air, WHO says – CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/27/health/air-pollution-map-who/

Cardiovascular disease costs will exceed $1 trillion by 2035: Nearly half of Americans will develop pre-existing cardiovascular disease conditions, analysis shows — ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170214162750.htm

Air pollution around the world takes a staggering toll – The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/air-pollution-around-the-world-takes-a-staggering-toll/2017/03/05/be4b50d8-f300-11e6-a9b0-ecee7ce475fc_story.html?utm_term=.ff4f127aadbb

Polluted environments kill 1.7 million children each year, WHO says – CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/05/health/pollution-child-deaths-who/

American Lung Association – Energy Policy Development:
Transportation Background Document
http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/healthy-air/transportation-backgrounder.pdf

Aviation-Related Injury Morbidity and Mortality:
Data from U.S. Health Information Systems
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2810202/

Struggling to Breathe in Wayne County, Michigan | Sierra Club
http://www.sierraclub.org/planet/2016/01/struggling-breathe-wayne-county-michigan

For Greener Skies: Reducing Environmental Impacts of Aviation
The National Academies Press – Sciences, Engineering,  Medicine
https://www.nap.edu/catalog/10353/for-greener-skies-reducing-environmental-impacts-of-aviation
[free online report, or free registration for pdf]

Exhaust Emissions from In-Use General Aviation Aircraft
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
[free online report, or free registration for pdf]
http://www.nap.edu/24612
includes useful MS Powerpoint

Aircraft and Airport-Related Hazardous Air Pollutants: Research Needs and Analysis
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
[free online report, or free registration for pdf]
http://nap.edu/14168

Research Needs Associated with Particulate Emissions at Airports
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
[free online report, or free registration for pdf]
http://nap.edu/14160

Critical Issues in Aviation and the Environment 2014
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
[free online report, or free registration for pdf]
http://nap.edu/22405

Airports, Air Pollution, and Contemporaneous Health
http://www.nber.org/papers/w17684

Hazardous Air Pollutants | US EPA
https://www.epa.gov/haps

Environmental Policy [FAA]
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/policy_guidance/envir_policy/

Airports Going Green
http://airportsgoinggreen.org/
Industry’s leading sustainability forum, bringing together aviation sustainability leaders, experts, and innovators from around the world.

Chicago Department of Aviation, Sustainable Airport Manual (SAM)
http://www.kpesic.com/sites/default/files/TM_Sustainable Airport Manual.pdf

U.S. GAO – Key Issues: Air Quality
http://www.gao.gov/key_issues/air_quality/issue_summary – t=0