State of the Air 2011

State of the Air 2011

For 12 years, the American Lung Association has analyzed data from state air quality monitors to compile the State of the Air report. The more you learn about the air you breathe, the more you can protect your health and take steps to make our air cleaner and healthier.

The State of the Air 2011 shows that the air quality in many places has improved during 2007-2009. Still, over 154 million people—just over one half the nation—suffer pollution levels that are too often dangerous to breathe. Despite great progress, air pollution lingers as a widespread and dangerous reality. It is important to note this progress, even as some seek to weaken the public health law that has improved the air we breathe since 1970, the Clean Air Act.

Overall findings:

Roughly half the people (50.3%) in the United States live in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution. Almost 154.5 million Americans live in the 366 counties where they are exposed to unhealthful levels of air pollution in the form of either ozone or short-term or year-round levels of particles.

Roughly one in 17 people–more than 18.5 million in the United States–live in 10 counties with unhealthful levels of all three measures covered in the report: ozone and short-term and year-round particle pollution.

Cleanest and Most Polluted Cities:
by Ozone
by Year Round Particle Pollution
by Short-term Particle Pollution

Cleanest: Honolulu, HI
Ranked 1 for cleanest metropolitan areas in the country for Ozone
Ranked 1 for cleanest metropolitan areas in the country for 24-hour particle pollution
Ranked 4 for cleanest metropolitan areas in the country for annual particle pollution

Most Polluted: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA
Ranked 1 for high ozone days out of 277 metropolitan areas
Ranked 2 for annual particle pollution out of 277 metropolitan areas
Ranked 4 for 24-hour particle pollution out of 277 metropolitan areas

Compare cities by:
Total Population
Pediatric Asthma
Adult Asthma
Chronic Bronchitis
Emphysema
Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes
Children Under 18
Adults 65 & Over
Poverty Estimate