<p>There are so many wonderful things about Rice but I do wonder about the air pollution. Current Rice students: do you find the air quality to be a significant problem? Have you noticed any difference in your health? Thanks.</p>
<p>Houston air quality is usually ranked very low. However, I can't say that I notice it that much (and I'm from a fairly small town, so it's not like I've spent my entire life getting used to the air here). If you stand in the middle of Main St. at rush hour or beside one of the freeways, you'll probably notice it, but on campus, I've never walked outside and thought "it feels polluted here." (I have walked outside and thought "it's ridiculously humid/hot here") The relatively low number of cars on campus and high number of trees and amount of green space seems to improve it, even if only psychologically. </p>
<p>If you have a history of severe allergies or asthma, you might have some issues, but otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it too much.</p>
<p>I worried about it before sending kid number 1 to Rice; she then proceeded to spend some time in China in an area that is TONS more polluted than Houston, and also 5 months in Santiago, Chile, which is also known for being very polluted. I gave a sigh of relief when she came back to Houston! This may not make any scientific sense, but I always feel like the trees and grass on campus give off a little extra oxygen and filter out some of the pollutants. The air doesn't seem any more polluted than here in Austin.</p>
<p>I have bad allergies, but they're no worse in Houston than they have been in any other city. I have a pretty bad cough right now, but that's just a bug that's been going around campus.</p>
<p>If you're worried about excessive pollution then you just have to be a little more aware of your actions. For example, the trees that form a canopy over most of the streets surrounding Rice actually trap pollutants from cars. Jogging the outer loop during rush hour is equivalent to smoking a full pack of cigarettes. I'm sure this is not a problem found solely in Houston, but it's good to exercise common sense when it comes to things like this.</p>
<p>citation? (Really...I'm curious.. How did you come up with that information?)</p>
<p>I read the same information about the canopy of tress trapping pollutants in an article in the Houston Chronicle about a month ago. I don't remember whether the article mentioned the "pack of cigarettes". It is known that particulates in the air from cars/trucks/buses is harmful, particularly for people with heart disease.</p>
<p>If any article said running the outer loop was equal to a pack of cigarettes, then it was probably an exaggeration (intended or accidental, I don't know).</p>
<p>Air quality is pretty relative. For instance, air pollution in Oregon (where you think it would be great) in the late summer is very poor. Eventually it rains and it's gone, until people start burning wood in fireplaces. That sort of pollution might really bother one person and not another. Other examples are Great Basin valleys (BYU, U of U, UNR....) there the Winter smog is horrible. So, I guess what bothers you (physically, visually, mentally) currently and long term.</p>
<p>Trees helping pollution.....insignificant in a big city.</p>
<p>The outer loop/cigarette info came to me from my old roommate, who at the time was involved in a program at the Wellness center. She says she thinks it was a study done by students for a class, and that Emily Dexter Page (Director of the Wellness Center) has the details of the study.</p>
<p>It received a little bit of publicity in the Sallyport a few years ago (see <a href="http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2004/fall/arts/undertheradar.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2004/fall/arts/undertheradar.html</a> for the article). Apparently an undergrad artist did a piece based on the finding.</p>
<p>See <a href="http://wellness.rice.edu/your_environment.html%5B/url%5D">http://wellness.rice.edu/your_environment.html</a> for more info on pollution in Houston.</p>