State of the Air 2023 Cities in the West and the Southwest also dominate the list of the most ozone-polluted air. The counties facing the worst short-term exposure to particulate matter are overwhelmingly in western states. The report found that all but two of the worst 25 counties for short-term particulate matter are in western states. The Lung Association found that the number of people living in places with failing grades in particulate matter has almost doubled in the past five years. Wildfires help explain most of the fluctuations we’re now seeing in particulate matter data. Ozone also is more likely to form in hot weather, while wildfires tend to be much worse for particulate matter. Burning oil, gas, and coal, whether at the tailpipe or power plant, releases pollutants that cause both ozone and particulate matter. Their sources can be a bit different, though. They impact the young and old, pregnant people and the developing fetus, and can cause and worsen respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and worse cognition. Ozone and fine particulate matter affect the entire body in all stages of life. The other pollutant, fine particulate matter, is roughly 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, capable of going deep into the lungs and bloodstream because of its minuscule size. In the stratosphere, ozone helps block ultraviolet radiation from the sun, but at the ground level it causes smoggy air, posing a threat to lungs, hearts, and brains. The report focuses on two pollutants of the most concern for public health: ozone and particulate matter. ![]() That number is actually rising compared to the last State of the Air report. ![]() People of color are 64 percent more likely to live in a county with a failing grade for either ozone or particulate matter. Air pollution is still a danger to roughly one in every three Americans. The dueling signals from ozone and particulate matterĬleaner air in the US does not mean clean air. The report found an additional half-million people lived in counties exposed to unhealthy short-term spikes in particulate matter compared to the last State of the Air report.Ĭlimate change is complicating what’s happening to the nation’s air quality, as worse drought, heat waves, and wildfires make it harder to say air pollution will follow a predictable path year after year. Pruitt called this a “fantastic decrease.”īut it’s undercut by fine particulate matter - microscopic inhalable solids and liquid droplets - going upward. This report shows 19 million fewer Americans lived in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone than in last year’s report. The latest State of the Air, which captures data over three years from 2019 to 2021 in counties that monitor air quality (only about one-third of all counties nationwide) delivers mixed news. ![]() We still have all of the same air pollution controls in effect, but the progress is being undercut and undone by climate change,” “Then as the Clean Air Act started to work, most places in the country started getting cleaner. “If you look at the trend of air pollutants, the highest historical levels of air pollution occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s,” said Katherine Pruitt, ALA’s national senior director for policy. The agency issued regulations for sources of the pollutants it was set up to tackle, like diesel car tailpipes and coal power plants, and over time, the air quality improved.īut the trend changed abruptly about five years ago, when pollution from wildfires, heat, and drought - trends worsened by climate change - began to overtake these gains. Subscribe now for unlimited access.For more than two decades, the American Lung Association (ALA) has posed a simple question: Is air pollution in the United States getting better or worse?įor the first 40-something years of the Clean Air Act of 1963, the Environmental Protection Agency could show progress toward cleaner air - even if it was sometimes slow or uneven. We strive to offer puzzles for all skill levels that everyone can enjoy playing every day. In early 2022, we proudly added Wordle to our collection. In 2014, we introduced The Mini Crossword - followed by Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles and Vertex. ![]() Since the launch of The Crossword in 1942, The Times has captivated solvers by providing engaging word and logic games.
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