According to a new report by the American Lung Association, breathing in the air in about half of the United States can put the health of the inhabitants at risk. The group’s annual “State of the Air” study shows that 156 million people are living in areas where air quality is considered unwell.

Analyzing the figures from 2021 to 2023, the report found a disturbed tendency: air pollution is not improving, but actually deteriorating. Compared to previous reports, additional 25 million people are now breathing unhealthy levels of pollution – the highest number recorded in the last decade.

Climate change driving air quality declines

Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, the country has seen significant improvements in air quality. However, signs of reversal have been shown in recent years. Laura Kate Bender, Assistant Vice President of the American Lung Association, told CBS News that climate change is partially guilty. “Climate change is maintaining a situation like wildfire and excessive heat – which runs ozone pollution – some for most of the country,” bends explained.

The worst and best air quality cities

Bakersfield, California, earned the worse year for the sixth consecutive year and the unfortunate glory of short -term particles pollution. It was third for the highest number of high ozone days. In contrast, Casper, Vyoming, stood out as the cleanest city for the year -long particles pollution.

In the report, the top 10 cities have been listed with the worst year -long particles pollution:

Bakersfield-Delano, California.

Visalia, California.

FRESNO-HANFORD-CORCORAN, California.

Eugene-springfield, ore.

Los Angeles-Long Beach, California.

Detroit-Varen-N Arber, Mich.

San Jose-Sana Francisco-Ocland, California.

Houston-pasadena, texas

Cleveland Acon-Canton, Ohio

Fairbanks-College, Arc.

Wildfire and excessive heat spoils nationwide pollution

While pollution has long been considered a major problem in western America, the report warned that it is no longer a regional issue. Increasing temperature, forest fire and extreme weather are spreading pollution across the country. In 2023, wildfire smoke from Canada also created dangerous air conditions in Eastern America, including areas that usually do not suffer from such events.

The association’s environmental health director Kevin Stewart said the conclusions were more worrisome than the anticipated. Stewart told CBS News, “We hoped that wildfire smoke would affect us the quality of air.” “But we were surprised how seriously the northeastern parts of the country were affected.”

Environmental protection rollback causes concern

In another setback for environmental security, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a plan to withdraw 31 environmental regulations, including rules aimed at reducing vehicle emissions. Critics say that this step can erase decades of progress. “Everything that makes our air cleaner is at risk,” said the bender. “Staff cuts, funding cuts, regulation rollbacks – if they all occur, air will get dirt, and people’s health will be damaged.”

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the move, arguing that the deragulation will help reduce the cost of living, promote domestic energy production, and help bring back manufacturing jobs to America, he said “the effort” said the attempt to run a dagger directly into the heart of climate change religion. “

Dirty air health effects are severe

Health experts have warned that air pollution has been linked to serious conditions such as asthma, heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and later cognitive decline in life. Kezia Ososu Ata, director of the laws of Lung Association, emphasized a very real human cost. “Pollution is causing asthma attacks in children, making external workers sick, and even leading to low birth weight in newborns,” she said.

The report also states that black American is inconsistent with air pollution, suffering from high rates of serious health problems compared to other groups.

As climate change increases and environmental security becomes weak, experts fear that millions of Americans have breathed which may be even more dangerous in the coming years.

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