Holly Eppler, 13, of Firebaugh, who has asthma, performs a pulmonary function test known as spirometry to test lung function as Dr. Troy Scribner encourages her during a checkup Tuesday afternoon at the Baz Allergy Center in Fresno.
John Walker / The Fresno Bee
Attention turns to Valley air
Survey shows more residents are reporting lung problems.
Residents report more lung problems now in the smoggy Central Valley than they did three years ago, a new survey revealed on Tuesday.
About half of those surveyed said their family experienced asthma or respiratory problems connected to air quality, according to a Public Policy Institute of California survey. In 2003, a little more than a third of the residents reported such problems.
The numbers do not mean lung problems have increased, said survey director Mark Baldassare. They mean people are thinking more about how air pollution affects their health.
"There is an increased perception," Baldassare said. "It is very important for policymakers to understand how people feel. Sacramento ought to be aware of the Central Valley."
Air quality gets more attention as the population expands in the vast Central Valley, which includes 19 counties in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. The area has 6.6 million people, and the population is expected to nearly double by 2040.
The eight-county San Joaquin Valley, ranging from Stockton to Bakersfield, ranks alongside Southern California and Houston as the dirtiest air basins in the country.
In Fresno County, one in six children has asthma — double the rate for the rest of California. Air pollution is known to trigger asthma attacks, damage lungs, boost the risk for heart attacks and even lead to premature death.
Air quality concerns are a continuing trend that Public Policy Institute surveys have shown for years. The institute, which has been surveying this area since 1999, interviewed 2,002 residents in the Central Valley by telephone in May.
Residents also are concerned about crime, city sprawl and the economy, and they want government to plan better for the population expansion. Three-quarters of the people surveyed thought city and county governments should work together on regional solutions.
Those results are encouraging, said Carol Whiteside, president of the Great Valley Center, a co-sponsor and collaborator on the survey.
"Overall, the results have indicated a region getting increasingly sophisticated about its well-being," she said.
That could be one reason why people are more aware of air problems, said Sandra Eaton, acting director of the American Lung Association of Central California.
"There's a cumulative effect of air pollution on the lungs over many years," she said. "People are more aware of that, and they're asking doctors to check out their problems now."
One Fresno allergist, Dr. Malik Baz, has expanded his services, adding two new offices. Dr. Troy Scribner, an allergist who works with Baz, said he moved to Fresno County three years ago. Scribner said his patients are aware of air quality.
"I don't have the data, but my feeling is we're probably seeing a slight increase in patients and a lot of awareness," he said.
Air quality has improved in the last several years, said spokeswoman Kelly Morphy of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. But the district has a long way to go, she said.
"We need to reduce 400 tons [of pollution] per day by 2011," she said. "We're driving more and more as the Valley population expands. We will need some monumental reductions."
The reporter can be reached at mgrossi@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6316.
