A new report from the American Lung Association highlights the health benefits of updating industrial manufacturing in Illinois with cleaner heating technologies. The report, titled “Clean Heat, Clean Air: Health Benefits of Modern Industrial Technologies,” states that modernizing these processes could save more than 4,300 lives and prevent nearly two million asthma attacks across the state.
The analysis focuses on pollution produced by industrial facilities that use fossil fuels, wood, or other sources to generate heat for operations such as food processing, paper production, and textile manufacturing. According to the report, replacing this equipment with cleaner technologies by 2050 could lead to significant public health improvements.
“Despite progress, Illinois has incredible air pollution challenges to overcome. According to the 2025 ‘State of the Air’ report, two Illinois metro areas appear on the Top 25 Most Polluted Cities lists, with the Chicago area ranking 13th on the list for worst year-round particle pollution and 15th on the list for worst ozone pollution. Addressing pollution from industrial facilities is a crucial step in our efforts to clean the air in Illinois,” said Will Barrett, senior director, nationwide advocacy, clean air for the American Lung Association.
The report notes that industrial facilities are responsible for almost a quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. This makes them the third-largest source of climate pollution after transportation and electricity generation. These combustion-based processes also emit nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that negatively affect lung health—particularly in communities near more than 33,000 such units operating nationwide.
Nationally, transitioning industrial equipment to modern technologies by 2050 could yield similar health gains as projected for Illinois.
“Burning fossil fuels, biomass or other 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. The Lung Association has long championed the transition away from outdated combustion technologies in transportation, power generation and homes. Supporting the transition to modern, industrial clean heat is vital to advancing our organization’s mission to protect lung health and ensure everyone has access to clean air.”
For more information or to read the full report, visit Lung.org/clean-heat.
