Air pollution is a deadly problem across the United States. One of the leading chemicals in the air that causes cancer is formaldehyde, which is not only found in industrial and high traffic areas but also in toys, furniture, gas stoves and other everyday products.
Formaldehyde pollution is a significant issue in Cleveland. The Environmental Protection Agency aims to keep the risk of cancer from air toxics from exceeding 1 in 10,000 and below 1 in 1 million. Ten Cleveland neighborhoods are about 41% higher than the midpoint of that range due to the cancer risk from formaldehyde alone. The worst are Ohio City, Tremont, Hough, University Circle, Central, Buckeye-Shaker Square, Downtown, the Flats, Warehouse District, and St.Clair-Superior.
But it's not just an urban problem. Greater Cleveland suburbs such as Seven Hills, Independence, Garfield Heights and Bedford Heights are 39% higher than the EPA’s midpoint. Another 10 Cleveland suburbs are 37% higher than the midpoint of that range due to the risk from formaldehyde.
Using data from the EPA, ProPublica compiled a report that allows Americans to see the chemical risk of formaldehyde in their neighborhood and from where it is coming. The publication found that around 320 million people live in neighborhoods in the country where the lifetime cancer risk from outdoor exposure to formaldehyde is 10 times higher than the EPA’s goal.
According to a 2024 report by the American Lung Association, a little over 130 million people, or almost 40% of the country, live in areas with unhealthy air pollution.
Most of Cleveland’s risk from formaldehyde comes from secondary sources in the atmosphere due to natural sources and precursor chemicals that mix. Variables can include vehicles on the road, climate, geography, vegetation, and other areas.
At the national level, little is being done to stop formaldehyde. ProPublica reports that the EPA, under President Donald Trump's administration, is looking to make deregulatory decisions that help unleash the power of businesses in America.
On a local level, Cleveland announced at the beginning of this year that it is looking to revamp its air pollution code for the first time in five decades. In January, the city hosted a series of listening sessions to gather input from the public.
A main driver of the new effort is to help combat Cleveland’s high rates of childhood asthma.
"The national average is about 8%. And there are some neighborhoods in the city of Cleveland that are 23% to 25%," Christina Yoka, chief of air pollution outreach with the Division of Air Quality said, according to Ideastream. "That's not all of the city of Cleveland, but there are certain neighborhoods that are at that level.”
Some suggested proposals include a rating system that will categorise areas based on health risk, asking for more communication from heavy polluters, making it more costly for companies to pollute and empowering the city to better enforce existing regulations, such as anti-idling measures.
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