California...cough, cough...dreaming. Los Angeles on another smoggy afternoon.
Now while not my usual “travel news” story, I felt compelled to write about the American Lung Association’s results from a two year project on air pollution in the United States. Because as travelers, you and I will eventually wind up in some of these places, some might have already been. After reading the results many more might want to pack their bags and move or visit virtually by checking out the city via Google street view.
Roughly 60% of Americans are breathing in such unhealthy air that it can make them sick. Researchers from the American Lung Association tested the air quality on three levels – long-term particle pollution, short-term particle pollution and ozone concentration. All three of these in excess amounts have been proven to result in negative health effects. So where are the dirtiest and cleanest places in the United States? Here are some results:
- When it comes to the amount of ozone in the air, Los Angeles tops the list with the smoggiest and unhealthiest air in the country. The amount of ozone in the air can effect one’s breathing and lead to such complications as asthma. If you already have asthma, then chances are you will be prone to above average asthma attacks if you live in an area with such high ozone layers.
- The top 10 list of ozone offenders sure does make California look bad. The Golden State clocked in with six cities, among the 10, that were considered hardest to breathe in America. They include the aforementioned Los Angeles, as well as Bakersfield, Visalia-Porterville, Fresno-Madera, Sacramento, and El Centro. The other four that made the list include Phoenix, Arizona, Charlotte, North Carolina, and both Houston and Dallas, Texas.
- As for the cities with the dirtiest air? Well that dubious distinction was tied for first, with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Bakersfield, California named the dueling cities of dirt. Each city throughout the United States was measured for the amount of particle pollutants floating in the air, such as specks of soot, dust, ash, and aerosols. California again hogs the list with a total of five cities, which include the already mentioned Bakersfield, as well as Los Angeles, Visalia, Hanford, and Fresno. Birmingham, Alabama, Detroit, Michigan, and both Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio round out the top 10.
- So where are the cleanest places to live or visit in the States? Well the squeaky clean city of Billings, Montana tops the list with nearly non-existent, ozone levels. Other locales include Carson City, Nevada and Fargo, North Dakota. The healthiest cities on the list were places like Cheyenne, Wyoming, Honolulu, and Great Falls, Montana.
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To check out the comprehensive air study, and to see how good (or bad) your city did, check out the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2009. By the way if you were wondering how my city of Brooklyn scored. Kings County received a “D” in the Particle Pollution area. No results were released in regards to the ozone layers.
