Colorado has struggled with persistent air pollution for decades. While progress was made against the ominous “brown cloud” that loomed over Denver during the 1970s and 1980s, ozone pollution remains a consistent challenge for public health officials across the state. The summer of 2024 to date has brought more ozone days exceeding federal air quality standards for the Front Range than last summer's total.
“Public health lies at the intersection of climate and health,” said Cathy Bradley, PhD, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). “Declining air quality is just one symptom of climate change. Our school and researchers continue to collect, analyze and interpret data to better inform Coloradans of the impact of air quality and ozone specifically on their lives.”
To explain why ozone remains such a problem for the state, two ColoradoSPH experts in environmental and occupational health and epidemiology, Kathy James, PhD, MS, MSPH, and Lee Newman, MD, MA, explain the unique factors leading to ozone pollution formation in Colorado and the health issues and equity challenges it presents.