By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) – More than 40% of Americans live with unhealthy air, according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report.
Certain cities and certain types of Americans are far more vulnerable.
Black Americans are 61% more likely than whites to live in a county with unhealthy air, and three times more likely to live in a county with consistently poor air quality levels, according to the ALA report.
In addition, the report says that climate change is worsening air pollution in much of the country.
“This report highlights the urgent need to reduce climate change, eliminate air pollution and promote environmental justice,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association.
“The nation has a real chance to address all three at once – and to do that we must focus on health and health justice as we move from combustion and fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy,” Wimmer said in an ALA message Publication.
continuation
The 2021 State of the Air report analyzes US Environmental Protection Agency data from 2017 to 2019 – three of the six hottest years ever recorded worldwide.
Due to climate change, many western countries continue to have record levels of particle pollution from smoke from forest fires.
Changes in climate patterns that fuel forest fires also increase temperatures, which lead to more ozone pollution. This poor air quality threatens everyone, but especially children, older adults and people with lung diseases.
Research also shows that air pollution can worsen COVID-19, the authors pointed out.
The report highlights the two most widespread air pollutants outdoors: ground ozone pollution and particulate pollution. Both are dangerous to public health and potentially fatal.
Particulate pollution – or soot – comes from forest fires, wood stoves, coal-fired power plants, diesel engines, and other sources. These microscopic particles known as PM2.5 can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and cause lung cancer.
Research has also linked particulate pollution to other serious illnesses like asthma and dementia, as well as worse COVID-19 outcomes.
continuation
Due to forest fire smoke and wood burning, nearly 54 million Americans live with dangerous spikes in short-term particulate pollution, while more than 21 million live in counties with unhealthy particulate pollution year-round, according to the Pulmonary Association.
Ozone pollution irritates the airways. It can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and asthma attacks, and shorten life. Research also links smog to a higher risk of diseases like diabetes.
More than 123 million Americans live in a county with low levels of ozone pollution, including 28 million children and 18 million people aged 65 and over.
Below are cities with the dirtiest and cleanest air:
Top 10 US Cities With Shortest Particle Pollution (24 Hours)
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
- Bakersfield, California
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California.
- Yakima, Wash.
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, California.
- Logan, Utah-Idaho
- Redding-Red Bluff, California
- Missoula, Mont.
- Sacramento-Roseville, California
Top 10 US Cities with the Most Particulate Pollution Year-Round
- Bakersfield, California
- Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
- Visalia, California
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, California.
- Medford Grants Pass, Ore.
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California.
- Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.
- Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-Ohio-West Va.
- El Centro, California
continuation
Top 10 cities most polluted by ozone
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, California.
- Bakersfield, California
- Visalia, California
- Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
- Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.
- Sacramento-Roseville, California
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, California.
- Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, Utah
- Denver Aurora, Colo.
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California.
Cities with the cleanest air
- Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, Vt.
- Charlottesville, Va.
- Elmira-Corning, NY
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Wilmington, NC
“Too many people breathe unhealthy air and it is disproportionately likely that they are people of color,” said Wimmer.
“Join us in calling on President Biden to advance environmental justice by prioritizing historically stressed communities to clean up pollution and reaping the benefits of investing in the transition to electric vehicles and clean, renewable electricity,” he added.
The report was released on April 21st.
More information
For more information on air pollution and health, see the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SOURCE: American Lung Association, news release, April 21, 2021
Comments are closed.