Is Your City Lung-Friendly?
The State of the Air report from the American Lung Association has been released last Wednesday, and it is time to weigh in on the quality of the air in various cities across the country. The top ten cities in the United States for Ozone Pollution were revealed; ozone levels are deemed as a possible danger for those who have chronic lung conditions. According to a feature on the Denver Business Journal, the ALA said that ozone “can cause wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks and even shorten your life.”
The ten cities identified as having the highest levels of ozone pollution, as indicated in a feature on U.S. News, are as follows:
Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area (including Long Beach and Riverside)
Bakersfield, California
Visalia and Porterville, California
Fresno and Madera, California
Sacramento, California, metropolitan area (including Arden-Arcade and Yuba City)
Hanford and Corcoran, California
Houston, Texas, metropolitan area (including Baytown and Huntsville)
San Diego, California, metropolitan area (including Carlsbad and San Marcos)
San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, California
Charlotte, N.C., metropolitan area (including Gastonia and Salisbury)
While Denver was not one of the cities included on the top ten list, most counties in the Denver area received failing marks on ozone pollution. Among those that received “F” grades were Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties.
Ken Lloyd, executive director of the Regional Air Quality Council, released the following statement along with the report: “The Denver region has made great strides in reducing ozone levels in recent years, but more needs to be done… With even stricter limits on ozone pollution looming [from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency], the challenge will be even greater and will require a concerted effort throughout the region.”
