California and Other Parts of Western US Lead in Unhealthy Levels of Air Pollution

California and other parts of the western United States had the country's worst air pollution, even as air quality overall improved in the years 2019 through 2021, according to the latest report from the American Lung Association.

People of color disproportionately lived in areas with an unhealthy air quality, the report also found. They were 64% more likely than white people to live in a county with a failing grade on at least one of three measures of air quality, and 3.7 times more likely to live in a county with a failing grades on all three measures. 

That is an increase from last year’s numbers of 64% and 3.6 more likely.

The association’s 24th “State of the Air” report grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution, annual particle pollution, and short-term spikes in particle pollution over a three-year period.

Climate change is making the job of ensuring clean air more difficult.

"The three years covered by “State of the Air” 2023 ranked among the seven hottest years on record globally," the association said in its key findings. "High ozone days and spikes in particle pollution related to heat, drought and wildfires are putting millions of people at risk and adding challenges to the work that states and cities are doing across the nation to clean up air pollution."

As far as the western United States, more than 18 million residents live in counties with failing grades on all three measures. The 25 counties with the worst record for short-term particle pollution were all in the West.

“The good news is that ozone pollution has generally improved across the nation, thanks in large part to the success of the Clean Air Act,” said Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association.

The number of people living in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone pollution or smog dropped by 19.3 million, he said.

“However, the fact is that 120 million people still live in places with unhealthy air pollution, and not all communities are seeing improvements,” he said.”

The five cities most affected by short-term particle pollution, led by Bakersfield, California, were all in the West. In all, 63.7 million people lived in counties that had unhealthy spikes in particle pollution, the most reported in the last 10 years.

Here is the complete list:

• Bakersfield, California 
• Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Visalia, California
• Reno-Carson City-Fernley, Nevada

As for year-round particle pollution, the five worst cities also were in the West, again led by Bakersfield. A total of 18.8 people lived in a county that received a failing grade, though the good news is that overall the number dropped by 1.5 million people.

Here is the complete list:

• Bakersfield, California
• Visalia, California 
• Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California 
• Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
• Fairbanks, Alaska

On the last measure, ozone pollution or smog, there were improvements across the country, with 19.3 million fewer people living in areas with unhealthy levels. The worst areas were once again in the West, with the Los Angeles - Long Beach metropolitan area coming in first. 

Ground-level ozone pollution can cause shortness of breath, trigger coughing and asthma attacks and may shorten life. The warmer temperatures that result from climate change make ozone more likely to form.

Here is the complete list:

• Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
• Visalia, California 
• Bakersfield, California 
• Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California  
• Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona

Among the cleanest cities — with no days of high ozone or particle pollution and a rank in the 25 cities with the lowest year-round particle pollution levels — three metropolitan areas were in North Carolina.

The top cities were

• Asheville-Marion-Brevard, North Carolina
• Bangor, Maine
• Greenville-Kinston-Washington, North Carolina
• Lincoln-Beatrice, Nebraska
• Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, New York
• Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
• Wilmington, North Carolina.