Pittsburgh's real problems (Columbia, Beaver, Mansfield: how much, university, moving)

[oktaren]

The real problem with the city is the lack of proper infrastructure.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by RockLobster

Hi Pittnurse70... Where in Northern Colorado do you have ties? I was out on the western slope for awhile doing the weather in Grand Junction. I really enjoyed the state as well as the Grand Valley..

I live in Louisville, in Boulder County. It's sort of part of the metro area, and sort of not. Much like growing up in Beaver Falls. Are you a weather forecaster? I like Grand Jctn.

[505ci]

Originally Posted by oktaren

YAY, lets make the air here even dirtier

There's a demand for it..so what's wrong with filling that demand? The power plant isn't going to shut down because the air in Pittsburgh is dirty. It's no secret this is one of the filthiest regions in the country, if not THE most. It's got to be somewhere though...Too bad it's here, but oh well. That's life. If you don't like it, then move to vacation land down in Florida or something, where the air is clean. Western PA is always gonna be industrial to some degree. That's the way it's always been, and always will be.

[guylocke]

It's no secret this is one of the filthiest regions in the country, if not THE most.

What the crap is that based on?? lol. Much of California has us beat, and a great deal of Texas, too. It also depends on what you mean by pollution. Do you mean smog? Pittsburgh has nearly non-existent smog. Do you mean particulates in the air? Pittsburgh does have a lot of that, but we aren't first. Los Angeles has the fine distinction of beating Pittsburgh and every other city in America in both smog and particles. :P

It can vary wildly from study to study, too (oh, except for Los Angeles which is ALWAYS number one). I've seen some studies that has Pittsburgh very high in particles, even in the top 5. Other studies, like Forbes, doesn't even rank us in the top 10 for smog or particles. The American Lung Association ranks us as 5th for air particles. And in terms of the BEST air quality in the USA, no major city EVER ranks. Always keep things in perspective.

[RockLobster]

Pittnurse, I have been to Lousiville before. Pretty nice country ! Yes, I was a weather forecaster over in Grand Junction. That was a fun location for that type of work given all the elevation changes. Are you originally from the Pittsburgh area? I moved back to the burgh a year ago..but I certainly enjoyed Colorado.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by RockLobster

Pittnurse, I have been to Lousiville before. Pretty nice country ! Yes, I was a weather forecaster over in Grand Junction. That was a fun location for that type of work given all the elevation changes. Are you originally from the Pittsburgh area? I moved back to the burgh a year ago..but I certainly enjoyed Colorado.

I grew up in Beaver Falls, attended Pitt, and worked in Pittsburgh for a little while before moving to Ill, then Colorado (and a few other places too, but those are the places where I lived the longest).

[505ci]

Originally Posted by boylocke

Do you mean particulates in the air? Pittsburgh does have a lot of that, but we aren't first. Los Angeles has the fine distinction of beating Pittsburgh and every other city in America in both smog and particles.

With all-due respect, LA makes Pittsburgh look like the town of Beaver in terms of size. For a city as small as Pittsburgh, the particulate concentration is disturbingly high.

[guylocke]

With all-due respect, LA makes Pittsburgh look like the town of Beaver in terms of size. For a city as small as Pittsburgh, the particulate concentration is disturbingly high.

Yes, I believe your right. For a normal, healthy, individual, it poses little risk. But it can make a difference for those who have immunosuppressive disorders, lung conditions, and the very old.

[oktaren]

No, no risk at all...

from wikipedia...

The effects of inhaling particulate matter has been widely studied in humans and animals and include asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular issues, and premature death. The size of the particle is a main determinant of where in the respiratory tract the particle will come to rest when inhaled. Larger particles are generally filtered in the nose and throat and do not cause problems, but particulate matter smaller than about 10 micrometres, referred to as PM10, can settle in the bronchi and lungs and cause health problems. The 10 micrometer size does not represent a strict boundary between respirable and non-respirable particles, but has been agreed upon for monitoring of airborne particulate matter by most regulatory agencies. Similarly, particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, PM2.5, tend to penetrate into the gas-exchange regions of the lung, and very small particles (< 100 nanometers) may pass through the lungs to affect other organs. In particular, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that PM2.5 leads to high plaque deposits in arteries, causing vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis — a hardening of the arteries that reduces elasticity, which can lead to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems [1]. Researchers suggest that even short-term exposure at elevated concentrations could significantly contribute to heart disease.

There is also evidence that particles smaller than 100 nanometres can pass through cell membranes. For example, particles may migrate into the brain. It has been suggested that particulate matter can cause similar brain damage as that found in Alzheimer patients. Particles emitted from modern diesel engines (commonly referred to as Diesel Particulate Matter, or DPM) are typically in the size range of 100 nanometres (0.1 micrometres). In addition, these soot particles also carry carcinogenic components like benzopyrenes adsorbed on their surface. It is becoming increasingly clear that the legislative limits for engines, which are in terms of emitted mass, are not a proper measure of the health hazard. One particle of 10 µm diameter has approximately the same mass as 1 million particles of 100 nm diameter, but it is clearly much less hazardous, as it probably never enters the human body - and if it does, it is quickly removed. Proposals for new regulations exist in some countries, with suggestions to limit the particle surface area or the particle number.

The large number of deaths and other health problems associated with particulate pollution was first demonstrated in the early 1970s [2] and has been reproduced many times since. PM pollution is estimated to cause 22,000-52,000 deaths per year in the United States (from 2000) [3] and 200,000 deaths per year in Europe).

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by 505ci

There's a demand for it..so what's wrong with filling that demand? The power plant isn't going to shut down because the air in Pittsburgh is dirty. It's no secret this is one of the filthiest regions in the country, if not THE most. It's got to be somewhere though...Too bad it's here, but oh well. That's life. If you don't like it, then move to vacation land down in Florida or something, where the air is clean. Western PA is always gonna be industrial to some degree. That's the way it's always been, and always will be.

The air isn't *clean* anywhere anymore.