Homeamerica California Gets No 1 Ranking for Most Polluted State Again
10 Worst Smog Cities in America
Medically Reviewed by Gabriela Pichardo, MD on May 17, 2020
Worst (and Best) Cities for Smog
2021 marks the 51st year of America's Clean Air Act, a law passed to improve air quality. But more than one-half a century later on, many U.South. cities still have unhealthy levels of smog, according to the American Lung Association'southward annual State of the Air rankings. Warming trends from climate alter increase ozone and, forth with frequent wildfires, worsen air quality.
No. 10: San Francisco
Think of the Bay Expanse as a big basin. Winds brand it like shooting fish in a barrel for polluted air to motion from ane valley to another. Vehicles driven past the nearly 9 million residents of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland play a role in the area's dirty air. During warm months, residents tin can get daily updates on air quality from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District'due south Spare the Air entrada.
No. 8 (Necktie): Salt Lake Urban center
Utah'southward capital, along with almost of the land'south population, is positioned in front end of the Wasatch Mountains. In wintertime, temperature inversions -- a layer of high warm air aloft -- traps cooler air below. That ways pollution created by the Table salt Lake-Provo-Orem area'due south 2.5 meg residents has nowhere to go.
No. 8 (Tie): Denver
Colorado is working to meet a June 2021 EPA compliance deadline for lowering basis ozone levels. Strict oil and gas regulations helped, as did having fewer of the Denver-Aurora metro area'south 3.6 1000000 residents on the road during the COVID-nineteen pandemic. Only rising temperatures and drier weather accept likewise led to a jump in wildfires throughout the land.
No. 7: San Diego, CA
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad metro surface area scored an F on this yr's ozone study, with more than 100 days of loftier readings. The toxic air is bad news for the metro area'south more than than 300,000 kids and adults with some grade of asthma.
No. half dozen: Sacramento, CA
The Sacramento Valley is shaped like a basin. In summer, pollutants like frazzle from cars get trapped closer to the footing. The Sacramento-Roseville metro area, domicile to 2.6 million, earned a spot on the lists for highest ozone days, most unhealthy spikes in particle pollution, and annual particle pollution levels.
No. v: Phoenix, AZ
Arizona has less deject cover than any other state. And Phoenix is the state'due south second-sunniest city. More sunlight reaching the footing means more ozone. That could exist why Phoenix moved up the list two spots from No. 7 last year. To clean things up, local leaders are working to curb the number of drivers on the road and to cap the employ of forest-burning fire pits and fireworks.
No. 4: Fresno, CA
The Fresno-Madera-Hanford metro area only has 1.3 million residents. They enjoyed the lowest number of ozone days since 2000, simply stayed in the same spot on the list equally final year. In addition to the number of cars on the road, geography is partly to arraign. The bowl-shaped San Joaquin Valley traps vehicle emissions with no way for them to become out.
No. iii: Visalia, CA
Things are looking upward a bit in Visalia-Tulare County, which moved down the list ane spot from last twelvemonth'due south 2d-place ranking for ozone. It stayed in third identify, though, for year-round air particle pollution. Tulare County, located in California's San Joaquin Valley, is habitation to only most 460,000 people but more than one million cattle. Industrial dairies play a large part in local air pollution, which includes high levels of methane emissions.
No. 2: Bakersfield, CA
Dissimilar other cities in California'southward smog-trapping San Joaquin Valley, Bakersfield tin blame some of its air pollution on oil and gas production. Information technology'south no surprise the area ranked outset for particle pollution. 1 local company admitted to violating the Clean Air Act for greenhouse gas emissions. And the urban center has some 40,000 residents with centre disease. All that smoggy air can increase their odds of having a centre attack.
No. ane: Los Angeles
2021's smog capital is the Los Angeles-Long Embankment metro area, home to 18.7 1000000 people. The metropolis'south crowded freeways definitely play a part in creating ozone levels, simply LA's famous sunny weather doesn't help. Sunshine ramps up smog levels, aggravating symptoms for the 1.5 million residents who take some form of asthma.
Bakersfield, CA, and Yr-Round Particle Pollution
This California urban center once again claims the No. one spot when information technology comes to year-round particle pollution, or soot. High rankings are zero new for Bakersfield, which led this category from 2016 to 2018. Locals indicate to oil and gas production facilities, along with its location in the San Joaquin Valley, which traps pollution and holds it in. Wildfires also raised soot levels beyond the Western U.S.
Cleanest Cities
Five cities ranked highest in the U.S. for the three measures of make clean air: ozone, twelvemonth-round particle pollution, and brusk-term particle pollution in 2021. Three repeated this honor ii years in a row. That's good news for residents: People who live in cities with skilful air quality may alive longer, healthier lives.
Burlington, VT
Located near the U.S.-Canada edge, Burlington is home to 279,000 residents who enjoy fresh, grade-A air. An overall lack of heavy industry coupled with fewer automobiles -- ii leading sources of air pollution -- could be why.
Charlottesville, VA
History-packed Charlottesville is dwelling to a little over 200,000 people and the University of Virginia. You'll besides find the Shenandoah National Park, role of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Residents enjoy outdoor activities similar hiking, rafting, and skydiving into the smog and soot-free air.
Elmira-Corning, NY
Nearly 200,000 people call this metro area habitation. Located on the edge of New York'due south Finger Lakes region, it offers wineries, rolling hills, hiking trails, and plenty of fishing spots. Y'all tin can even notice the Victorian dwelling house sites that inspired much of Mark Twain'due south work. What you won't find is a lot of dirty air. Elmira-Corning ranked seventh on this year's list of cleanest cities for year-round particle pollution.
Honolulu
Once again, Honolulu took summit honors for everyman annual particle pollution levels. That means nearly 1 meg people who call this tropical city habitation are breathing some of the nation's cleanest air. Credit goes in office to the weather -- yr-circular winds and rain play a role -- equally does a lack of heavy industry.
Wilmington, NC
Home to 297,000 residents, this Atlantic Ocean beach community had no unhealthy air quality days from ozone, or long- or curt-term particle pollution. Northward Carolina is also focusing on clean ability research, sinking billions into solar and wind free energy projects.
Source: https://www.webmd.com/asthma/ss/slideshow-worst-smog-cities
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