Though development is good to build up the Queen City, an expert said there are impacts you can’t see.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tens of thousands of people move to Charlotte every year. But with more people means more development. Everywhere you turn in Charlotte, it feels like a new building is going up.
That leads to another question: what is all this construction doing for our air quality?
Just a few years ago, South End was known for its industrial vibe. Nowadays, it’s a developer’s dream as apartments, restaurants, and shops open up one by one.
“With development, you are going to see the impact,” said Daisha Wall, Community Science Program Manager with CleanAIRE NC.
Though development is good for building up the Queen City, Walls said there are impacts you can’t see.
“Particulate matter is a form of air pollution — it’s what we call a toxic cocktail,” Walls said.
To discover how much this is affecting us, WCNC Charlotte sat down with Wall and also looked at the American Lung Association State of Air Report from 2017 to now.
“From construction sites, you are going to see particulate matter and ozone,” Walls said.
Particulate matter includes dust, soot, smoke, sulfates, metals and allergens.
“Once it’s in your body it stays in your body,” Walls said. “It infiltrates into your lungs, it goes into your bloodstream and it can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other health issues.”
With this knowledge, we got to wondering: how is the Charlotte metro area faring with particulate matter and pollution in general?
When it comes to particulate matter, the ALA’s report card said Mecklenburg County is starting to see more and more of it over the years. In 2017 we were “A” students.
Then in 2018, a “B” score.
And today in 2024, we get a “C” — meaning we have more high particle pollution days. And it’s not just development causing it.
“The main sources are cars, smoke, barbeque, anything that is going to emit from it some kind of smoke,” Walls said.
There is, however, good news: Mecklenburg County has improved when it comes to high ozone days, from failing in 2019 to now having a “C.”
“From a long-term perspective, we improved drastically,” Wall said. “We have gone from 65 bad ozone days to now three a year. So we have improved greatly.”
Wall said this is bound to happen with just about any growing metro. So how can you help yourself?
If you live near a construction site, keep your windows closed and regularly change your air filters. If you are working out while outdoors, try not to exercise while construction is actively happening.
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