The top 10 most polluted cities in the United States list had been released. Only six of the most polluted metropolitan areas on the overall list had any days where pollution remained at healthy levels, and none of them were in the top 10 of most polluted cities.
California is once again at the top of the most polluted cities list. The Golden State has some of the most stringent pollution regulations and environmental laws in the country. The topography of California and the state’s increasing population levels are being blamed for the continuing pollution problems.
Soaring air pollution levels in the state caused Bakersfield to be named the most polluted city in the republic. The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report was released earlier this week, MSN notes. The data used to compile the report was based on studies completed from 2013 through 2015.
Top 10 Most Polluted Cities In The United States
- Bakersfield, California
- Visalia, California
- Fresno, California
- Modesto, California
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- San Francisco, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Logan, Utah
- Los Angeles, California
- Reno, Nevada
The six metropolitan areas on the complete most polluted cities list which also had at least some days where air pollution did not reach unhealthy levels were Elmira, New York, Wilmington, North Carolina, Burlington, Vermont, Melbourne, Florida, and the Fort Myers and Naples region of Florida.
The top 10 most polluted cities on the list represent metropolitan areas which are plagued by both short-term and year around pollution. The Visalia/Hanford area of California was noted as the city with the worst year around pollution. Yet another California metropolitan area, the Los Angeles and Long Beach region, has the worst ozone pollution level in America, according to the same report. The ozone, also known as smog, is created by emissions from vehicle tailpipes, smokestacks, and gasses released into the air.
8 out of the top ten most polluted cities in the U.S. are in California, with Los Angeles/Long Beach area being #1 according to EPA reports pic.twitter.com/9367jQicDl
— Tanaz Sutaria (@t_sut) April 5, 2017
Pollution in California grows as more vehicles jam traffic on the roads. The air pollution tends to settle in the basins and valleys in the state, and the foul air surrounds the millions of people who live there. The almost year-round warm weather may make the state a prime vacation spot, but it also reportedly increases the already high levels of ozone pollution. While annual pollution levels have improved in the state, short-term spikes in pollution levels have increased substantially, according to the report.
“The state would be far worse off without its strict laws on tailpipe pollution and eliminating coal-fired power plants. They’ve done more than any other state to counteract air pollution,” American Lung Association representative Paul Billings said.
The American Lung Association report revealed approximately 125 million Americans across the country or 40 percent of the nationwide population, are currently living amid unhealthy air pollution levels, National Geographic reports. The report maintains living in such a polluted environment causes enhanced risk of not only a series of serious health conditions such as lung cancer, heart damage, developmental and reproductive issues, and asthma attacks but premature death as well.
Billings also stated most regions of the United States enjoy better air quality than existed a decade ago but added that many metropolitan areas are still experiencing their highest of unhealthy air pollution days since the report first began publishing 18 years ago.
Cough! The American Lung Association says the Salt Lake metro area is the 20th worst U.S city for ozone pollution. https://t.co/o4zpOJRyhN pic.twitter.com/7s2TxhfZL7
— Salt Lake Tribune (@sltrib) April 19, 2017
“Everyone has a fundamental right to breathe healthy air,” American Lung Association CEO Harold P. Wimmer, said.
The people most at risk from inhaling ozone pollution are typically children, teenagers, and senior citizens. Individuals who work outside, along with heart and lung condition patients, are also reportedly placed at increased risk when living in environments struggling with air pollution.
Particle pollution is a combination of both minuscule liquid and solid particles circulating in the air. Inhaling the polluted air may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and lung cancer. Both ozone pollution and particle pollution may increase the risk of lower birth weight in infants.
[Featured Image by Elwynn/Shutterstock ]
