Episode 6: The History of Air Pollution & Air Quality Efforts (part 1)

Imagine stepping out of a time machine into the middle of ancient Rome. What you'd immediately experience is air pollution. We think of air pollution as a modern problem, but it's been shaping human history for thousands of years. In this episode, we’re diving into the history of air pollution and air quality efforts, going far back enough to before we even had a word for it.

Transcript

Hey everyone and welcome back! My name is Ms. Carmen, and I am your host. The goal of this podcast is to provide you with science-based information about air quality issues so that you have the information you need to make the best decisions for you and your family. Since this is such a big topic, I'll be covering it in bite-sized pieces throughout the podcast. At the time of recording this episode, the temperature in Brooklyn, NY is 41 degrees and our current AQI is 12.


Today, we’re going back in time to explore the history of air pollution and air quality efforts. How we got to where we are today is a story worth sharing and understanding so that we may hopefully stop repeating history.

Imagine stepping out of a time machine into the middle of ancient Rome—the streets are bustling with people, vendors are shouting, and in the distance, black smoke rises from hundreds of chimneys. You take a deep breath… and immediately cough. The air is thick, acrid. It smells so bad you can taste it.

Now, fast forward to London, 1661—you walk the streets, and a heavy, sooty fog clings to the city, so dense that it blocks out the sun. You can’t even tell what time of day it is. The air looks and smells of burning coal, a thick layer of soot covering buildings and even settling in on your clothes and hair. Our next stop—Pittsburgh, 1900— the middle of the day feels like dusk because of the factory smoke. There is no sun in the sky, just a thick haze as far as the eye can see. People wipe soot from their faces as they casually go about their day.

We think of air pollution as a modern problem, but it's been shaping human history for thousands of years. Today, we’re diving into the history of air pollution, going far back enough to before we even had a word for it.

Let’s take it back. Way back. As far back as the 4th century. Back then, the Greek philosopher Hippocrates wrote about the health effects of “bad air”. In his book “Airs, waters and places” he made suggestions of all sorts of illnesses as being related to the quality of air. He noted that in cities facing damp westerly winds, inhabitants had it the worst off. He wrote that they ‘are likely to have deep, hoarse voices, because of the atmosphere, since it is usually impure and unhealthy in such places'.

Even then, early society recognized that there was a threat to human health, they just didn’t have evidence of exactly what. For a while, miasmas, or vapors, were thought to be the source of ill health, but no one knew exactly how yet. We didn’t yet have the tools or knowledge to identify or quantify the problem, so instead we wrote about it. Roman author Pliny the Elder made note in his writings that the city’s air was harmful. He wrote, “...the air itself, which is the main support of life, we turn into a medium for the destruction of life.” 

During this time, Romans regularly burned wood and coal for both heating and metalworking. This released thick black smoke into the air, which lingered before settling onto surfaces like a layer of black dust. At around the very same time over in China, records from the Han Dynasty describe officials complaining about “smoke pollution” from similar practices. Despite not fully understanding, early humans were aware of at least some of the potential hazards in the air.

In the 200-year period which marked the height of both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty, incredible amounts of greenhouse gases were casually introduced into the atmosphere as part of day-to-day living. These emissions directly and negatively impacted the health of the people living there.

By the time we get to the 13th century, Londoners had switched from burning wood to burning coal, and the difference was immediate. Very thick, black smoke filled the air, settling on surfaces (and people) like a film. King Edward I was so disturbed by this that he attempted to ban coal burning in the city altogether. But enforcement of pollution activities, as it was known, was weak to nonexistent, because coal was cheap and efficient. By 1661, writer John Evelyn described London’s air as “poisonous,” saying that it blackened buildings and ruined people’s lungs. He wasn’t wrong. Combined with the city’s natural fog, the pollution created a smoggy haze that lingered thickly for days. During this time, air pollution was the direct cause of respiratory ailments and many deaths. And it only got worse.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw an explosion of growth. More factories, more coal use, and population increase due to urbanization. The Industrial Revolution was here, and its arrival had consequences, both immediate and long-term, and some we’re still dealing with today.

Manchester, England, and Pittsburgh, USA, are two examples of cities where the air became so thick with soot that people described the sky as being permanently gray even on a clear, sunny day. Workers in factories and mines suffered lung diseases at alarming rates. The Great Smog of December 1952 in London was a deadly air pollution event that caused major disruption and chaos. Hazardous air quality lingered for several days and over 10,000 died as a result. Although unimaginable in horror, it would be four more years until the British government finally passed the Clean Air Act.


Across the pond, the Donora smog disaster of 1948 was an air quality emergency event that took place over six days. From October 26th to the 31st, unusually cool temperatures, a temperature inversion, and the location of the Pennsylvania town of Donora created a plug of polluted air. Industrial emissions resulted in sulfuric acid, nitrogen dioxide, fluorine, and other poisonous gases getting stuck close to the ground. This smog caused respiratory distress in thousands of residents living in the small town, leading to 20 deaths and widespread illness. 

This tragic event helped spark discussion on the quality of air and the need for rules and regulations. The Donora smog disaster led to the first national air pollution conference in 1950, and the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955, which finally declared air pollution a danger to public health

Sometime between AD 63 and AD 65, Seneca wrote about taking a health break from Rome. He wrote: “As soon as I escaped from the oppressive atmosphere of the city, and from that awful odour of reeking kitchens which, when in use, pour forth a ruinous mess of steam and soot, I perceived at once that my health was mending… So I am my old self again, feeling now no wavering languor in my system, and no sluggishness in my brain”


Air pollution isn’t a new thing, and it most definitely didn’t just pop up recently. Air pollution has shaped cities, economies, and laws for thousands of years. We’ve known about the dangers of air pollution for centuries—but change has always been slow to come. The result: some of the worst pollution events in history could have been prevented. 


In the next episode, we’ll move onto the 20th-century battle for clean air.


Thanks for tuning in, I hope you’ve been finding this information helpful! If so, please share with a friend. And do check out my other episodes to learn more about air quality and how it affects you. There’s lots more topics to come. If you’re looking to learn and chat more about air quality and air pollution, connect with me on BlueSky at MsCarmenScience. You can also check out our Facebook page, named exactly after this podcast. Have a question or comment? You can send us fanmail through Buzzsprout. Until next time, breathe easy and don’t forget…. No matter where you are on this planet, like it or not, we’re all in this together. This is Ms. Carmen signing off from Inhale, Exhale, an air quality podcast.