Nearly 50% of Americans Endure High Air Pollution Levels, Highlighting Significant Health Hazards, Report Reveals

Photo credit: www.smithsonianmag.com

The most recent State of the Air report by the American Lung Association found that more than 150 million Americans breathe air with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution

Lillian Ali – Staff Contributor

April 25, 2025 12:50 p.m.

For 25 of the 26 years that the American Lung Association has published its State of the Air report, Los Angeles has earned the dubious title of the city with the highest ozone pollution levels in the U.S.

David Iliff via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0

Since the turn of the millennium, the American Lung Association has provided annual assessments of air quality across the nation. The latest report, made public on Wednesday, indicates a troubling trend: the highest number of individuals affected by unhealthy air pollution in a decade.

According to recent findings, approximately 156 million Americans, which accounts for 46% of the country’s population, are exposed to unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.

“These pollutants are directly linked to life-threatening conditions,” says Mary Rice, a pulmonologist at Harvard. In an interview with NPR, she added, “They significantly reduce life expectancy and contribute to rising asthma rates.”

Particle pollution, known colloquially as soot, comprises very small solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere. These are often released from combustion sources, such as vehicles using gasoline or diesel, as well as from burning wood. Ozone pollution, on the other hand, is created when sunlight reacts with various polluting gases, resulting in smog formation. Inhalation of ozone can lead to respiratory issues, including shortness of breath and asthma aggravations.

The 2025 State of the Air report, which assessed air quality data from 2021 to 2023, revealed that around 25 million more Americans are living in areas with polluted air compared to the previous year. The report’s authors attribute this surge largely to the impacts of climate change.

“A worsening trend in air quality seems closely linked to climate change,” commented Katherine Pruitt, the report’s lead author and national senior director for policy at the American Lung Association. In an interview with USA Today, she noted that each year sees slightly higher global temperatures, leading to increased extreme weather occurrences, drought, intense heat, and a higher incidence of wildfires.

Wildfires release soot particles that worsen particulate pollution, while rising temperatures create conditions that are more conducive to ozone formation, leading to increased smog levels.

While climate change has exacerbated air quality issues, it’s worth noting that pollution levels were historically much worse. Los Angeles, infamous for its smog, faced severe pollution issues as early as the 20th century. During World War II, residents were alarmed enough by the thick smog that they mistook it for an air raid.

The implementation of the Clean Air Act in 1970, along with the establishment of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), marked a pivotal moment in efforts to enhance air quality. This legislation granted the government authority to regulate emissions and promote public health. Since the enactment of the Clean Air Act, six major air pollutants have seen an approximate reduction of 80%, as highlighted in this year’s report. However, experts are cautioning that climate change may be undermining some of these advances.

“Overall, there has been a decline in air pollution since the act was passed,” said Laura Kate Bender, assistant vice president at the American Lung Association, in remarks to CBS News. “However, recent years have shown an upward trend, partially due to climate change.”

At the same time, federal initiatives aimed at combating climate change appear to be waning. On March 12, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced significant rollbacks regarding environmental protections, proclaiming it “the most significant day of deregulation in our nation’s history.” Zeldin contended that these changes would strike a blow against what he termed the “climate change religion.”

Included in Zeldin’s deregulatory agenda are revisions to air quality standards set during the Biden administration, affecting regulations on particulate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA has released a list of 31 regulations it intends to relax or eliminate entirely, including limits on pollutants and mercury emissions. Recently, the EPA also issued termination notices to about 200 employees working in the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.

“Regulations that improve our air quality are now at significant risk,” Bender remarked to CBS News, emphasizing the potential consequences of continued rollbacks and staffing reductions at the EPA. “If these cuts come to fruition, it could adversely affect public health by increasing air pollution.”

Source
www.smithsonianmag.com