It may come as a surprise to anyone here who regularly suffers the runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezeathon symptoms of allergies, but Atlanta ranks only 10th among “sneeziest and wheeziest” cities in the United States.
Not that that’s good news, but at least someone’s got it worse.
A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, a non-profit environmental group, ranked 35 cities and regions where people are hit with a double whammy of ragweed pollen and ozone smog pollution, a combination it says can worsen respiratory allergies and asthma.
Topping the list of troubled towns is Richmond, Va., followed by Memphis, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Chattanooga, Chicago, Detroit, New Haven, Allentown, Pa., and then Atlanta.
The NRDC warns that climate change could cause more Americans to suffer significant respiratory woes and urges curbs on power plant carbon pollution.
Warmer temperatures “enhance the reactions that form ozone pollution,” the group said, and “ozone exposures irritate the lungs and can lead to lung inflammation, diminished lung function and worsen asthma symptoms.”
In addition, the NRDC says, “With more carbon pollution in the air, ragweed produces more pollen in late summer and fall.” Also, other pollen-producing plants, such as birch, oak and pine trees, tend to produce pollen earlier in the spring and for a longer period of time, the group said.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said Wednesday that the pollen count for the past 24 hours is high for trees and grass, although low for weeds.
Her forecast calls for continued dry conditions, possibly until Friday, when there is a 40 percent chance of rain, a prospect that looks to continue into Saturday.
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