Industrial facilities that produce goods such as food, paper, and clothing are a significant source of air pollution in the United States. According to a new report released by the American Lung Association, shifting these manufacturing operations to clean heat technologies could prevent up to 77,000 deaths and millions of asthma attacks across the country.
The report, titled “Clean Heat, Clean Air: Health Benefits of Modern Industrial Technologies,” examines the public health effects of emissions from facilities that burn fossil fuels, wood, and other materials for industrial heating processes. These emissions are linked to increased rates of asthma, heart attacks, strokes, and other health emergencies.
“Burning fossil fuels to power industrial heat processes releases harmful pollutants into the air we all breathe, contributing to asthma, heart attacks, strokes and other health emergencies,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “This new report highlights the enormous health benefits we can achieve by switching to modern, zero-emission heat technologies in industrial facilities. The Lung Association has long championed the transition away from outdated combustion technologies in transportation, power generation and homes. Supporting the transition to industrial clean heat is vital to advancing our organization’s mission to protect lung health and to ensure everyone has clean air to breathe.”
Currently, nearly one-quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. come from industrial sources. This makes industry the third-largest contributor after transportation and electricity generation. In addition to greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, industrial heating also emits nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that affect people living near more than 33,000 such facilities nationwide.
The American Lung Association's analysis points out that existing technologies could reduce harmful emissions from certain combustion-based boilers immediately. For more information or access to the full report on how cleaner manufacturing can benefit public health by reducing pollution from industrial heat processes visit https://www.lung.org/clean-heat.
