Air quality in the United States has gotten much better over time, resulting in improved health and fewer asthma attacks. Yet almost half of all Americans continue to breathe unhealthy air, a new report from the American Lung Association says.
Despite sustained efforts over the years, the report pinpoints that 156 million Americans still live under the impact of air pollution nationwide. In the year 2023, a majority of the American people resided where smog and soot of a toxic nature affected them, thus causing harm to lungs, hearts, and brains.
The Effect of Pollution on Health
“Both these types of pollution cause people to die. They shorten life expectancy and drive increases in asthma rates,” said Mary Rice, a pulmonologist at Harvard University.
While air has become cleaner in much of the U.S. since the Clean Air Act was enacted in the 1970s, there are still numerous locations where air is not clean. Fresno and Bakersfield, California, cities, experience some of the most severe soot pollution, the report says, while the Los Angeles basin sees most of the ozone pollution. Other cities, including Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas, Texas, are also in the top ten for heavy smog.
Also, individuals of color are more unevenly impacted by air pollution than any other racial group, with evidence indicating they are roughly twice as likely to reside in places with high soot and ozone levels of pollution than white Americans.
The Trump Administration’s Rollback of Environmental Regulations
The report arrives amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to reconsider or roll back environmental regulations that have helped reduce air pollution in recent decades. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under pressure to loosen restrictions on soot pollution, despite concerns from health experts about the potential impact on public health.
“Any rollback of environmental regulations has the potential to have really widespread public health impacts,” said Neelu Tummula, an ear, nose, and throat physician and spokesperson for the report
The Role of the Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act has been instrumental in reducing the level of air pollution, focusing on pollutants such as particulate matter, ozone, and sulfur dioxide. The campaign has seen significant drops in the level of pollutants nationwide, with research indicating a reduction in the rate of asthma and improved life expectancy.
One of the most influential studies guiding air pollution regulations is the Six Cities study, which monitored approximately 8,000 individuals in six cities in the United States over 20 years. The study’s findings, reported in 1993, were that individuals living in more contaminated cities had reduced lifespans compared to residents of cleaner cities.
“We were not just going into a community, but going into people’s homes,” said Douglas Dockery, one of the study’s leaders and an emeritus professor at Harvard. “It was real shoe-leather epidemiology.” The study found that people in cities with higher levels of pollution were more likely to die earlier than those in cleaner areas.
The Health Effects of Air Pollution
With research still shedding light on air pollution’s effects on health, scientists are better understanding how the various forms of pollution impact the human body. Tiny particles found in dirty air for instance may flow into the blood, and there, increase inflammation and promote the development of ailments such as heart disease and stroke, not to mention dementia disorders.
“We know now that air pollution affects more than just the lungs. It impacts the heart, brain, and even increases the risk of stroke,” said Tummula.
The Slowdown in Progress
While air pollution dropped by almost 80% since the Clean Air Act was enacted, in recent years the improvement rate has slowed down. One of the biggest challenges currently is the effect of climate change, which enhanced air pollution in a few areas through increased wildfires. Fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke has offset a quarter of air quality gains since 2000.
Temperature rises due to global warming also increase the amount of ozone in the air, which deteriorates air quality even more in the hot sun.
Issues Regarding Upcoming Air Quality Regulations
As the national government continues its push to curb environmental regulations, analysts fear these actions could detract from advancements that have seen air quality and public health improve. Researchers and technicians employed by the EPA, who are tasked with keeping tabs on air pollution and illness, are important in keeping regulations up to date with current knowledge.
“We are best equipped to protect our health when we have all the information, like weather and air quality,” said Mary Rice. “Without it, more people’s health will suffer.“
