New England Public Radio

UMass Researchers: Cloth Masks Offer Little Protection From Air Pollution

Traffic cops in Katmandu routinely wear industry standard face masks called N95 to protect themselves from the heavily polluted air. UMass Amherst Assistant Professor Rick Peltier said this is a pretty unusual move by law enforcement, but perfect for environmental health scientists looking to study the mask’s effectiveness.

“Turns out that their lung function improved in that short period of time,” Peltier said. “In other words, their ability to breathe was improved. And it improved their health status. So the N95 masks work.”

While in Nepal, doing that study, Peltier and his students noticed that the more iconic face masks, worn by pedestrians, were different; made of cloth. So back in Amherst, Peltier had his students study the cloth masks. The first set of results — not good. Peltier sent his students back to the lab and said — again — the results were bad.

Click the audio player above to hear Peltier’s conversation with New England Public Radio’s Susan Kaplan.

Massachusetts Anti-Coal Coalition Formed

A Holyoke, Massachusetts citizens group is announcing support for a state-wide effort to shutter all three coal-fired power stations in Massachusetts, including the Mount Tom Power Plant in the city. 

Citing environmental concerns, Coal Free Massachusetts says they want to see power plants which run on coal phased out by the year 2020. In Holyoke, the battle over these plants is nothing new. Alliance for a Healthy Holyoke has been seeking the closure of the Mount Tom plant for more than a year. Carmen Concepcion is a spokesperson for the alliance.  Speaking through an interpreter, she says the group is most troubled about possible air pollution

“We do not want coal burning in our city anymore. We want our city free of contamination. The toxins coming from coal burning are affecting our health day in and day out. And this is why we need clean air. We need new industry to come in that’s clean and sustainable.”

The owners of the plant say they are committed to producing power for the region’s grid through at least 2016. Chuck Burnham is a spokesman for First Light Power Resources.  He says the plant only operates a few times a month, during peak electricity usage. As for possible environmental issues, Burnham says in recent years Mount Tom has made improvements

“We put what’s called a turbo sorp, which was essentially a scrubber device in our plant that helps us get well below current Massachusetts emissions limits. So we’re well below both state and federal emissions limits.”

The Mount Tom Power Plant was built in 1960.  It sits along the banks of the Connecticut River near the Holyoke-Easthampton border.

Air Quality Alert for New Year’s Eve

Air pollution in Massachusetts has risen to unhealthy levels according to the state Environmental Protection Agency. The agency cautions Western Massachusetts and Connecticut residents who have mild to severe medical conditions to limit outdoor activity this New Year’s Eve. WFCR’s Sara Cintron-Schultz reports.