New Report: Cleaner Manufacturing Could Save 77,000 Lives and Prevent Millions of Asthma Attacks

Industrial facilities that manufacture everyday products that we rely on like food, paper and clothing are a significant—but often overlooked—source of harmful air pollution in the U.S. A new report from the American Lung Association finds that transitioning these facilities to clean heat technologies could save tens of thousands of lives and dramatically reduce asthma attacks nationwide.

The report, “Clean Heat, Clean Air: Health Benefits of Modern Industrial Technologies,” outlines the staggering public health impact of pollution from facilities that rely on burning fossil fuels, wood and other fuels to generate heat for processes such as food and beverage processing, pulp and paper production, and textile manufacturing. The Lung Association’s analysis reveals that transitioning this equipment to modern, clean technologies by 2050 could result in up to: 

• $1.1 trillion in public health benefits due to pollution reductions 
• 77,200 premature deaths avoided
• 33.2 million asthma attacks avoided
• 204,000 new asthma cases avoided
• 3.4 million lost workdays avoided
• Over $350 billion in global climate benefits

“Burning fossil fuels to power industrial heat processes releases harmful pollutants into the air we all breathe, contributing to asthma, heart attacks, strokes and other health emergencies,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “This new report highlights the enormous health benefits we can achieve by switching to modern, zero-emission heat technologies in industrial facilities. The Lung Association has long championed the transition away from outdated combustion technologies in transportation, power generation and homes. Supporting the transition to industrial clean heat is vital to advancing our organization’s mission to protect lung health and to ensure everyone has clean air to breathe.”

Industrial facilities currently account for nearly a quarter of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making them the third-largest source of climate pollution behind transportation and electricity. Creating combustion-based industrial heat also releases nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and other pollutants that harm lung health, especially in communities located near more than 33,000 of these facilities operating around the U.S. But, as the report highlights, there are already technologies that can offer an immediate pathway to reduce harmful emissions from certain combustion-based boilers.

To read the full “Clean Heat, Clean Air: Health Benefits of Modern Industrial Technologies” report and learn more about the public health benefits of industrial clean heat technologies, visit Lung.org/clean-heat.