According to the American Lung Association’s State of Air 2009 report released on Wednesday, six out of 10 Americans or186.1 million people live where air pollution levels could pose a risk to their lives. The number is much higher than the estimates of 2008 of about 125 million people because recent changes to the federal ozone standard mean more counties recognize unhealthy levels of pollution.
Moreover, despite growing support for conservation efforts, nearly every US city is still hampered by poor air quality.
“Six out of 10 Americans right now as we speak live in areas where the air can be dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, dirty enough to shape how kids' lungs develop and even dirty enough to kill,” said Janice E. Nolen, the American Lung Association's assistant vice president on national policy and advocacy.
The report found some improvement though in some cities: Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
However, Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside region of Southern California remained the metropolitan area with the highest levels of ozone pollution.
Also, Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pa., and the California areas of Fresno-Madera, Bakersfield and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside had the most short-term particle pollution or soot.
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