Page 5 - WILMAPCO - Summer 2022

Leading the Way to Air Quality Education in Delaware
The Air Quality Partnership of Delaware has been working for over two decades to educate Delawareans about simple measures that can be taken to improve air quality and why it’s important to do so. This work is paying off, as shown in WILMAPCO’s recent public opinion survey (see page 2) by a 17% increase in awareness of air quality issues.
The partnership includes private businesses, public agencies, and individuals all working together to raise awareness about practices that can improve air quality and community health. Some of the partners include the American Lung Association, King Creative, Chesapeake Utilities, Clean Air Council, DART, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Dover/Kent Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Delaware Commute Solutions, WILMAPCO, and private residents. Thegroupusesavarietyofstrategies to reach out, including information tables, event organizing, social media campaigns, contests, presentations to local groups, and school assemblies.
One of our favorite ways to reach out is through the use of Tropo, our 6-foot-tall, blue mascot who hails from outer space. Tropo comes from another galaxy to share with us lessons about good air quality and its importance. Tropo’s nose even changes color when air quality is predicted to be poor.
This year, we’re very excited to be working to convert our in-person Tropo Assembly Program into a more easily sharable digital version.
Air pollution remains a major danger to the health of children and adults.
During
minute assembly,

grade students learn
how air quality impacts
health (especially for
children, who breathe more
times per minute than adults) and what simple measures can be taken to help.
Some simple things we can all do to help improve air quality include combining our errands into one trip, or “trip chaining.” If we drive fewer miles, we use less fuel and pollute the air less. One quarter of air pollution nationwide comes from cars. We can also walk and bike for shorter trips that we need to take. Walking and biking produces no pollution and is great for your health. Another simple measure we can take is to “refuel when it’s cool” during the evening hours. This helps reduce the amount of ozone that’s created when we refuel
because gas fumes interact with hot air to create ozone. That’s one reason why it’s important to also “stop at the click.” Gas pumps have anti- pollution devices designed to reduce
emissions into the air.
Air pollution remains a major source of health problems in children and adults. As seen in the graphic above, problems can include asthma, reproductive and developmental harm, cancer, cardiovascular damage, and even premature death, so it’s important that we all do our share to improve the air.
To learn more about the AQP of Delaware, visit www.wilmapco.org/ aqp or follow us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/AirQualityPartnership.
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PREMATURE DEATH
May cause developmental harm
May cause reproductive harm Asthma attack
Lung cancer Wheezing and coughing
Shortness of breath Cardiovascular harm
Susceptibility to infections Lung tissue redness, swelling