Air quality in Denton has been consistently ranked among the worst in Texas. North Texas asthma rates are reported three times higher than the state’s average and twice as high as the nation’s average (North Texas Daily). Emissions from idling trucks, construction, hydraulic fracturing, cement plants, and the brunt of pollution blown from enormous cement plants from South Dallas, are all known to be major contributing factors to Denton’s poor air quality. However, within Denton, there is only one Texas Commision on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) monitoring station that measures PM_2.5. This station is located at the TCEQ Denton Airport South location, approximately 6.5 km from the city of Denton’s urban center.

PM2.5 are fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. It is harmful to our health as it gets deep into our lungs and some may even get into our bloodstream. Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including: premature death in people with heart or lung disease, asthma, increased respiratory symptoms. Here is an EPA article on PM2.5 facts.

Temperature is an informative indicator of heat. Extreme temperatures can set life-threatening heatwaves for citizens. As the top weather killer, excessive heat kills nearly twice as many populations than tornadoes and almost three times more populations than hurricanes in the US. Texans are no strangers to heat in the summertime and the temperatures are predicted to rise in the future.