Americans living with unsafe levels of air quality

Nearly half of Americans live with unsafe levels of ozone, particulate pollution or both, according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report. The report also goes on to say plans by the Trump Administration to loosen environmental regulations and cut funding for air quality research would make matters worse.

The report analyzed ozone and particulate pollution levels between 2021 and 2023, a period that included the worst wildfire season on record in Canada.

The report ranked pollution levels in counties and cities from best to worst, using a scale from F to A. The report also found that people of color are more than twice as likely to live in a community with high ozone and particulate pollution, compared with white people.

JoAnna Strother, Senior Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the findings from the organization’s latest State of the Air report.

“Ozone acts like a sunburn to the lungs and can cause a variety of health impacts,” Strother said.

Hispanic communities are three times as likely to be exposed to air that had at least one poor air quality measurement. In order to clean up these numbers, Strother suggests “Cleaning up the transportation sector… zero emission vehicles can help to curb air pollution.”