Study: Connecticut's air quality kills nearly 200 every year

Health of the Air Report

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk

Mortality rate: 48 deaths a year Morbidity rate: 149 incidents a year Impacted days: 116,253 days a year Health of the Air Report

Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk

Mortality rate: 48 deaths a year Morbidity rate: 149 incidents a year Impacted days: 116,253 days a year Photo: Tyler Sizemore Photo: Tyler Sizemore Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Study: Connecticut's air quality kills nearly 200 every year 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Next time the news reports on poor ozone or air quality, you may want to heed the warning.

A recent study, dubbed the "Health of the Air" report, from New York University reveals the impact pollution has on life in metropolitan areas. As expected, the results can be hazardous to your health.

An estimated 168 people die every year in Connecticut and about 472 people also have a major health event due to pollution, according to the report. The report also estimates 344,567 days are impacted each year, which involve restricted activity days, acute respiratory symptom days, work loss days, and school loss days, because of pollution.

Related: Fairfield County may have the worst air in the state

Locally, the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metropolitan area sees approximately 48 deaths per year, 149 major health incidents, and 116,253 impacted days per year due to pollution.

To arrive at their results, NYU measured the 8-hour ozone levels and fine particulate matter collected across three years in selected metropolitan cities.

In a release last June, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert Klee blamed Connecticut's air quality on outside sources.

"Connecticut has the highest ozone levels in the Northeast — which adversely impacts the health of our citizens and the quality of life in our state," Klee said in a press release, petitioning for federal assistance. "Air pollution transported into Connecticut from upwind sources and emissions from diesel-powered trucks are beyond our jurisdiction, and these petitions are part of our ongoing effort to have EPA address these sources."

But before you begin living behind a gas mask, NYU's report has some cautions.

"It is important to note that these results represent population-level impacts and are not directly representative as an estimate of individual risk," the report said. "Thus, cities with high estimates of air pollution related health impacts are typically those with both large populations and elevated pollution concentrations."

Related: What to do on rainy days in southwestern Connecticut

However some health concerns were not addressed, which may still cause readers to exercise a little more safety in the future.

"There are also additional adverse health impacts from air pollution not included in our analysis, particularly chronic outcomes such as cancer, new-onset asthma, and diabetes," the report said. "Deaths from these causes, and longer term nonfatal exacerbations of chronic illness, were not captured in this analysis but would add to the total health burden of air pollution outcomes."

Fairfield County recently received an "failing" grade in ozone levels in the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report earlier this year. All Connecticut counties failed in ozone levels, as well.