More than 4 in 10 Americans Live with Unhealthy Air

More than four in 10 Americans, approximately 43 percent of the population, live in counties with dangerously unhealthy ozone and/or particle pollution, according to new research.

The American Lung Association’s (ALA) latest “State of the Air” report found that the number of people exposed to unhealthy air increased to nearly 141.1 million – an increase of more than 7.2 million Americans since the 2018 summary.

The report analyses the two most widespread outdoor air pollutants in the USA – ozone pollution and particle pollution. Each is considered dangerous to public health and each can be lethal.

Eight cities recorded their highest number of days with unhealthy spikes in particle pollution since the nation began monitoring this pollutant 20 years ago. And the nation recorded more days than ever before when air quality reached “emergency conditions”.

ALA President and CEO Harold Wimmer said the report added to the evidence that a changing climate is making it harder to protect human health – the three years covered in this report ranked as the hottest years on record globally.

“The 20th annual ‘State of the Air’ report shows clear evidence of a disturbing trend in our air quality after years of making progress: In many areas of the United States, the air quality is worsening, at least in part because of wildfires and weather patterns fuelled by climate change.”

“This increase in unhealthy air is eye-opening, and points to the reality that the nation must do more to protect the public from serious, even life-threatening harm. There is no clearer sign that we are facing new challenges than air pollution levels that have broken records tracked for the past twenty years, and the fact that we had more days than ever before when monitored air quality reached hazardous levels for anyone to breathe.”

“Every American deserves to breathe healthy air that won’t make them sick. The American Lung Association calls on the Administration and Congress to protect and prioritize Americans’ health by taking urgent action to fight air pollution and address climate change,”

Particle Pollution

Unhealthy particles in the air result from many sources, including wildfires, wood-burning devices, coal-fired power plants and diesel engines. Particle pollution can be deadly. Technically known as PM2.5, these microscopic particles lodge deep in the lungs and can enter the bloodstream, triggering asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, and can cause lung cancer.

Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution (24-hour PM_2.5):

1. Bakersfield, California
2. Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
3. Fairbanks, Alaska
4. San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California
5. Missoula, Montana
6. Yakima, Washington
7. Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
8. Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, Utah
9. Seattle-Tacoma, Washington
10. Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, Pennsylvania-Ohio-West Virginia

Top 10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution (Annual PM2.5):

1. Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Fairbanks, Alaska
4. Visalia, California
5. Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
6. San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California
7. Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, Pennsylvania-Ohio-West Virginia
8. El Centro, California
9. Cleveland-Akron-Canton, Ohio
10. Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon

Ozone Pollution

Ozone pollution, often referred to as smog, harms lung health, essentially causing a sunburn of the lung. Specifically, inhaling ozone pollution can cause shortness of breath, trigger coughing and asthma attacks, and may shorten life. Warmer temperatures make ozone more likely to form and harder to clean up.

Top 10 Most Ozone-Polluted Cities:

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
2. Visalia, California
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
5. Sacramento-Roseville, California
6. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California
7. Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona
8. San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California
9. Houston-The Woodlands, Texas
10. New York-Newark, New York–New Jersey-Connecticut-Pennsylvania

Cleanest Cities

The “State of the Air” also recognises the nation’s cleanest cities – only six cities qualified for that status.

Cleanest U.S. Cities (listed in alphabetical order)

1. Bangor, Maine
2. Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont
3. Honolulu, Hawaii
4. Lincoln-Beatrice, Nebraska
5. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Florida
6. Wilmington, North Carolina