Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Lung Association, lung cancer is the number one cancer killing of both men and women in the U.S. The American Lung Association says, “Overwhelming evidence shows that particle pollution, or fine particulate matter (PM), in the air we breathe — such as that coming from vehicle exhaust, coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources—can cause lung cancer. Particle pollution increases the risk of dying early, heart disease and asthma attacks, and it can also interfere with the growth and function of the lungs.”

You can protect yourself from PM by checking the AirNow air quality index (AQI) forecast for the day and limiting your outdoor activities when pollution levels are high. AirNow also provides an interactive Fire and Smoke Map that shows fire locations and smoke plumes that may impact your health.

Air Quality Lesson Plans

Air Central Texas' Be Air Smart program empowers children, one of the most sensitive groups to air pollution, with the tools to better understand air quality by providing a free hyper-local outdoor PurpleAir sensor that provides real-time information on air quality conditions.

The City of Austin and AISD educators developed lesson plans that cover air quality issues and guide students through a particulate matter data collection assignment, using data from PurpleAir sensors. Two lesson plans are geared toward elementary students and one lesson plan is geared toward high school students.

Local schools may request a free PurpleAir sensor through the Be Air Smart program to complement these lesson plans. The sensors provide an opportunity for teachers and students to see outdoor air quality in real time, and can serve as a teaching tool for problem-based learning across many subject areas.

Share the ACT Newsletter!

CAPCOG is seeking more subscribers for the Air Central Texas Newsletter to better spread the word about Central Texas air quality. You can help by sharing our sign-up link for the Newsletter. New subscribers will be entered for a chance to win a $50 HEB e-Gift card. If you're already subscribed, you can tag a friend in the comments with the hashtag #BeAirAware for a chance to win a gift card as well (with a maximum of one subscriber entry and one tag entry).

Air Quality News

‘Burning Wet Feathers’ and ‘Death’ Smell Prompts Complaints in Bastrop - The Darling Ingredients' DAR PRO rendering plant turns poultry by-products, like feathers, and used cooking oil into useful goods like pet food and fuel. According to nearby residents, it’s not the business they want gone – in fact, they appreciate what it’s doing. The locals just worry about what’s in the air, and they’re tired of the odor. (KXAN)

Improving Air Quality Would Avoid 80,000 Vet Visits Every Year, Study Finds - New research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy and the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment has found that high levels of air pollution have led to significant increases in the number of vet visits for both cats and dogs. (Phys.org)

Capital Metro to Put 46 Electric Buses in Storage, Focuses on Smaller Launch - Capital Metro is pulling back its electrification efforts by putting 46 brand-new electric buses in storage for at least a year. CapMetro’s decision to store the buses, which were supplied by the now bankrupt Proterra, will slow efforts to expand transit services to Austin commuters and its goal to have an exclusively electric transportation system. (Austin American-Statesman)

Study highlights air pollution as key environmental factor in autism risk - In a recent review published in Brain Medicine, a group of authors examined air pollution as a key environmental risk factor for autism (a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting social skills and behavior), highlighting gene-environment interactions and neurodevelopmental impacts. (News Medical)

2024 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos MSA Monthly Air Quality Index Levels

Go to AirCentralTexas.org for a more detailed breakdown of air quality conditions by pollutant and location.

Air quality trends in October 2024 were worse compared to those of October 2023, when the region experienced 23 good days and eight moderate days.

Access the Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast using most weather apps or visit AirNow.gov for localized information.

Learn how these pollutants can affect public health:

• Particulate Matter
• Ozone

Share the Air Central Texas newsletter with your friends, family, and coworkers to help people understand the risk of poor air quality and how their actions can affect our breathable air.  

Make an air quality commitment to improve our local air quality, today!