What cities have the dirtiest air in the US? Report ranks cities by area
A new report revealed concerning findings about America's air, but some cities are doing better than others.
As part of the report, the American Lung Association ranked the 10 best and worst metropolitan areas for air pollution. While the best cities are scattered all over the U.S., the West Coast saw some of the worst rankings.
The report looked at daily and annual fine particulate matter averages and ozone pollution regulated under the Clear Air Act. Nearly 2 in 5 Americans live in areas that had a failing grade for at least one air pollution measure, the report stated.
Read more: Report says U.S. air pollution worst in 25 years as new environmental regulations finalized
“We're seeing the most days and the ‘very unhealthy’ or ‘hazardous’ air quality level due to spikes in particle pollution,” Paul Billings, ALA’s senior vice president of public policy, told USA TODAY.
'No safe level to particle pollution'
The below rankings focus on fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, which created when things are burned. It can cause asthma attacks, strokes and a litany of long term health problems.
“There is no safe level to particle pollution,” Dr. Kari Nadeau, the John Rock professor of climate and population studies at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told USA TODAY. “We were not meant to breathe this in as humans.”
The pollutants increase the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart failure and arrhythmia, as well as respiratory ailments such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Breathing in high levels of particulate matter in the long term has been linked to brain damage that puts people at higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.
Top ten US metro areas with worst air pollution: West Coast air gets bad marks
The western U.S. experienced the bulk of its pollution from roadways, agriculture, oil and gas industries and seemingly endless wildfires.
Bakersfield, Fresno and Visalia – hubs for agricultural production, shipping and warehouses where the population is predominantly Latino – make up the top five cities in each of the report’s measures for 24-hour particle pollution, year-round particle pollution and ground-level ozone pollution.
Other metro areas included are: Eugene-Springfield, Oregon; Los Angeles-Long Beach; Sacramento-Roseville; Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona; and Fairbanks, Alaska.
Dangerous smoke: Where is wildfire smoke and air quality at its worst? Here's a map of the entire US.
Top ten US metro areas with least air pollution: Residents skew white
Some of the communities with the best air quality included Bangor, Maine; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Honolulu. Except for Honolulu, most of the cities with the best air quality were majority white.
Areas with the least amount of particulate matter pollution include: Casper, Wyoming, Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Duluth, Minnesota-Wisconsin; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Anchorage, Alaska; and St. George, Utah.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best and worst air in the US: Report ranks pollution in cities, metros
