The largest risk factor for COPD is smoking. In addition to smoking, exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace play a role in COPD. Indoor exposure to smoke from many sources (tobacco, fireplaces, and wood stoves) may increase COPD risk. Outdoor air pollution due to ozone and particulate matter from many sources (wildfire smoke, vehicle congestion/traffic, other) may also increase COPD risk. Job-related exposure to fumes, vapor, gases, and dust may increase likelihood of COPD, even among people who have never smoked.

Virginia’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program provides hospital data and trends about the occurrence of COPD hospitalizations. COPD hospital admissions tend to be for more severe cases and do not include COPD among individuals who do not receive medical care or who are treated in outpatient settings (such as emergency departments or urgent care centers).