Nearly half of US breathing unhealthy air; record-breaking air pollution in nine cities

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/ala-nho041720.php

News Release 21-Apr-2020
American Lung Association


This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which is responsible for dramatic improvements in air quality. Despite this, a new report from the American Lung Association finds nearly half of the nation's population - 150 million people - lived with and breathed polluted air, placing their health and lives at risk. The 21st annual "State of the Air" report finds that climate change continues to make air pollution worse, with many western communities again experiencing record-breaking spikes in particle pollution due to wildfires. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of air pollution on lung health is of heightened concern.

The 2020 "State of the Air" report analyzed data from 2016, 2017 and 2018, the three years with the most recent quality-assured air pollution data. Notably, those three years were among the five hottest recorded in global history. When it comes to air quality, changing climate patterns fuel wildfires and their dangerous smoke, and lead to worsened particle and ozone pollution. This degraded air quality threatens everyone, especially children, older adults and people living with a lung disease.

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"Air pollution is linked to greater risk of lung infection," Wimmer added. "Protecting everyone from COVID-19 and other lung infections is an urgent reminder of the importance of clean air."

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The "State of the Air" also recognizes the nation's four cleanest cities. To make the list, a city must experience no high ozone or high particle pollution days and must rank among the 25 cities with the lowest year-round particle pollution levels.

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

Bangor, Maine

Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, Vermont

Honolulu, Hawaii

Wilmington, North Carolina

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