Forty Percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air quality

(Ethnic Media Services) — The latest State of the Air report released by the American Lung Association finds that nearly 4 out of 10 Americans live in areas with unhealthy air conditions, reports the Florida-based Spanish language outlet La Prensa Orlando.

According to the report, 39 percent of Americans – 131.2 million people – live in regions with high rates of particulate matter. The figures mark an increase of 11.7 million individuals from the year prior.

The report attributes the rise in those whose health is at risk due to unhealthy air quality to a number of factors, including hotter temperatures, drought and wildfire. These three factors also fueled the rise in particulate matter, including soot across the US.

The State of the Air report’s evaluations are based on new EPA standards that measure particulate matter in the air throughout the year.

Around 68.9 million people of color – including 16.8 million Latinos – live in counties that report high levels of air contamination. More than 5.4 million low-income people live in areas that saw their air quality worsen over the past year.

The EPA has warned of the threats to individual health from soot. Children are especially at risk. Exposure to such contaminants is linked to increased infant mortality, as well as pulmonary illnesses and hospitalizations, asthma and cancer.

Experts warn that those with pre-existing health conditions should take precautions, including wearing face masks, to avoid exposure, especially during periods of peak contamination.

The report makes note that recent policies have led to a reduction in overall emissions, but that climate change is also exacerbating rates of pollution locally. It also shows that far more cities and states in the western half of the country suffer from higher levels of pollution than states to the east.

Just four counties in three states east of the Mississippi River registered levels of particulate matter above EPA guidelines compared to 108 counties across 16 states west of the Mississippi last year.

Still, the new EPA standards show that levels are also on the rise in the eastern and central parts of the country.

Bakersfield, California once again topped the list of regions with the poorest year-round air quality for the fifth consecutive year in a row. Los Angeles, meanwhile, remains the city with the worst ozone pollution in the nation, a distinction the city has held for 24 of the past 25 years.

This article originally published in the June 3, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.