A new report from the American Lung Association highlights the potential health benefits of updating industrial manufacturing processes in Pennsylvania with clean heating technologies. The report, titled “Clean Heat, Clean Air: Health Benefits of Modern Industrial Technologies,” suggests that using modern, cleaner heating methods in industries such as food processing, paper production, and textiles could save nearly 6,000 lives and prevent millions of asthma attacks across the state.
The analysis points out that industrial facilities are a significant source of air pollution due to their reliance on fossil fuels for heat. These facilities account for almost a quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, ranking them as the third-largest source of climate pollution after transportation and electricity generation. In addition to greenhouse gases, these combustion-based processes emit nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that negatively affect lung health, particularly in communities near the more than 33,000 industrial units operating nationwide.
Will Barrett, senior director of nationwide advocacy for clean air at the American Lung Association, said: “Despite progress, Pennsylvania has incredible air pollution challenges to overcome. According to the ‘State of the Air’ report, two Pennsylvania metro areas appears among the Top 25 Most Polluted Cities lists: Pittsburgh ranks 12th for worst year-round particle pollution and 16th for short-term particle pollution, and Lancaster ranks 22nd for short-term particle pollution. Addressing pollution from industrial facilities is a crucial step in our efforts to clean the air in Pennsylvania.”
The report estimates that transitioning industrial equipment to cleaner technologies by 2050 could bring substantial public health improvements both statewide and nationally. The Lung Association has supported moving away from older combustion technologies not only in industry but also in transportation, power generation, and homes. It emphasizes that supporting modern industrial clean heat solutions is essential to its mission of protecting lung health and ensuring access to clean air.
The full report is available at Lung.org/clean-heat.
