Los Angeles ranked as the most polluted city in the nation for all categories According To American Lung Association Report, even though LA’s pollution levels have dropped. (Credit: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
Soot—the most dangerous pollutant—increased in the East but decreased in the West, while ozone (smog) decreased nationwide from peaks reported in 2002. The number of counties scoring an A grade for ozone levels increased from 82 in 2000 to 145 this year, but particle pollution levels show an ominous trend, with F grades nearly doubling in just one year, according to American Lung Association State of the Air: 2007.
Higher soot levels in the East are linked to an increase in electricity generated by heavy polluting power plants. In the West, by contrast, soot levels continue to drop even in areas that rank historically high in particle pollution.
California showed the most improvement with 32 counties dropping their year-round particle pollution levels.
Ozone pollution dropped thanks to a late 1990s requirement to clean up emissions of the raw ingredients of smog, as well as cooler summers in 2003 and 2004.
One-third of the U.S. population lives in areas with unhealthful levels of ozone, a significant reduction since the last report when nearly half did, yet 99 million Americans still live in counties with F grades for ozone.
Los Angeles ranked as the most polluted city in the nation for all categories in the report, even though LA’s pollution levels have dropped. Other cities ranking among the worst for ozone include several in southern California, as well as large cities in Texas and on the east coast, including Houston, Dallas, New York, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. Other cities on the lists of the worst for particle pollution include many in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, including Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, DC-Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
“The American Lung Association is fighting for tougher federal standards because they protect Americans from dangerous levels of air pollution,” Dr. Weaver said. “Air pollution shortens lifespan, it lands our children and elderly in emergency rooms, and it can make children and teens more vulnerable to lung disease for the rest of their lives.”
To see how your community ranks in the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2007 report and learn how you can protect yourself and your family from air pollution, go to http://www.lungusa.org. What can you do? Exercise early in the morning, avoid jogging or biking near traffic, avoid exercise on hot smoggy days. You should increase your anti-oxidant intake, omega-3’s and water intake. Thank you for reading
