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I have been holding my breath for the past two years, waiting for life to let up on us.

Kobe Bryant’s passing. A global pandemic that disproportionately affected Black and brown people (because of, among many other things, the years we give up to the country as its essential workers). The murder of another Black man pleading “I can’t breathe,” as we helplessly watched endless loops of his last moments all over news media outlets. Gorilla Glue girl. Haitian immigrants being corralled like livestock at the U.S.-Mexico border.

We can’t catch a break, yet I still hold my breath. And, when the moment to exhale comes, even the air I hope will one day comfort me is laced in racism and polluted by social injustice and systems inequity. A 2019 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) found that Black and/or Hispanic minorities bear a disproportionate burden from the air pollution caused mainly by non-Hispanic whites. Many Black news outlets reported the findings when the study was first published. Ironically, the study then dropped into obscurity once the pandemic hit.

On September 22, 2021, the World Health Organization released new guidelines on how air quality should be evaluated. Since the previous edition of these guidelines was released 15 years ago, more evidence has been found showing air pollution’s effects on different aspects of health at even lower concentrations than previously understood. Only one in 10 people breathe safe air, according to current WHO guidelines.

Clean air is fundamental to health. In fact, the burden of disease attributable to air pollution is now estimated to be on a par with other major global health risks such as unhealthy diet and tobacco smoking. Air pollution is now recognized as the “single biggest environmental threat to human health.” Considering, “exposure to air pollution is estimated to cause millions of deaths and lost years of healthy life annually,” we are losing too many Black bodies to avoidable circumstances.

What can/should be done? First, as with most of the disparate conditions of our communities, the government should take heed to the WHO air quality recommendations. As UN Environment Programme Chief Inger Andersen suggests “The air we breathe is a fundamental public good, and Governments must do more to ensure it is clean and safe.”

What about us? Education is a first start. The WHO website offers resources, including a website called BreatheLife, that “mobilizes communities to reduce the impact of air pollution on our health and climate.” The website is separated into two sections — “The issue,” where you can learn more about the impact of air quality and review air quality in your city; and “The solution,” where you can review solutions at the societal, organizational, professional, as well as personal level.

Here are the personal steps listed:

Monitor Your Air

The racial disparities in air pollution suggest that we each should survey our communities’ air quality levels as it can stand to narrow these disparities. Check local air pollution levels, also called the Air Quality Index (AQI), daily using AirNow.gov. Use it to limit outdoor activity or avoid hotspots when air quality is elevated. You can also sign up for text alerts here: EnviroFlash – Sign-Up

Time Outdoor Activity

Air pollution usually peaks during rush hour traffic (i.e.: late morning., early evening) Avoid/limit outdoor activity, where possible, during those peaks.

Know Your Surroundings

In addition to checking local air quality, know whether you live near areas with heavy vehicle traffic, such as highways. Learn more here: How Mobile Source Pollution Affects Your Health | US EPA

Avoid Heavy Traffic

This one is trickier. Avoid driving during peak times. If that can’t be avoided, keep the windows closed while in traffic.

Assess Your Risk

Speak with your healthcare provider to understand if your local air conditions put you at increased risk, in terms of your personal health. This allows you to make informed decisions regarding your health.

Use Effective Protection

If advised to wear a face mask due to air quality, “consult with credible sources to be sure it has a strong enough filter (i.e.: filters fine particulate matter, PM2.5 and under).

Following these steps as well as urging your local, state and federal government to do more about air pollution can bring us closer to Amanda Gorman’s dream of “leav(ing) behind a country / better than the one we were left with. Every breath from (our) bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.”

Anjulie Jacques

Writing since December 2021 · 1 story contributed