The report, published on Wednesday, assigned grades to U.S. counties based on three measures: ozone pollution levels, short-term particle pollution levels, and year-round particle pollution levels. The findings indicate that the long-term trend of disproportionate vulnerability among people of color continues. Despite comprising just over 41% of the U.S. population, they make up 52% of residents in counties with failing grades for at least one measure. Furthermore, 63% of the 44 million people living in counties with failing grades on all three measures are people of color. They are overall more than twice as likely as white Americans to reside in a county that fails all three measures.
Among the 10 cities with the worst year-round particle pollution, six are located in California: Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno-Madera-Hanford, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, Los Angeles-Long Beach, and Sacramento-Roseville. The other four cities are Eugene-Springfield, Oregon; Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona; and Fairbanks, Alaska.
While ozone pollution remains the most prevalent pollutant affecting Americans, the number of people exposed has declined for the fourth consecutive year. The American Lung Association attributes this downward trend to factors such as the Clean Air Act and the transition away from coal-fired power plants. The number of residents in counties receiving failing grades for ozone pollution decreased by 2.4 million in the past year.
Despite this positive development, the ALA notes that the number of counties earning A grades for ozone pollution levels has decreased by about 10% compared to 2023, while the number of counties with F grades has remained stable. This highlights the need for continued efforts to improve air quality and address the persistent racial disparities in exposure to air pollution.
