Do You Live in a Polluted City? the 2007 Rankings Are Out!

The American Lung Association (ALA) published the 2007 list for cities with both high smog content and particles in the air. While there are a few surprises, Los Angeles ranking first on the list is not one of them. In terms of smog, 6 of the top 8 are cities from central and southern California. The other 2 being Texas metropolitan areas of Dallas and Houston. The air particle list was more regionally balanced with blue collar Pittsburgh, Detroit and Cleveland inside the top 10.

The ALA has seen a consistent decline of smog and particle pollution for the country as a whole since the peaks of 2002. There is a troubling trend, cited their "State of the Air" report for 2007, there are 145 counties with the dubious grade of "F" air quality - up from only 82 in 2000. While ozone pollution has dropped with the changing EPA standards for vehicles in the late 1990s, soot levels continue to rise from power plants in the East.

The health concerns of air pollution are the highest priority for the ALA. "Breathing ozone smog threatens serious health risks, including new evidence that links it to premature death," stated ALA chair, Terri Weaver. The statistics of the 2007 rankings don't lie: 46% of the population live in 251 counties that have unhealthy levels of air pollution. That's 138 million people! Air pollution, in all varieties, has been proven to cause for exacerbate lung disease for people of all ages and levels of health.

The most obvious sign of air pollution to the average American is the grey haze over a city most of the time. A prime example is Los Angeles. That is an indicator of smog, but harmful particles in the air are more difficult to spot. Would you guess that Birmingham, AL and Weirton, WV are in the top 20 for particle pollution? Probably not. Metropolitan areas are not the only ones affected, of course the list has the obvious Los Angeles, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Detroit and New York. But surrounding areas are subject to all the air pollution as well. While the ALA is working to increase the air quality standards with the EPA, the process will not change overnight. The Clean Air Act was established to reverse the trend of air quality in this country, but Dr.Weaver and the ALA are constantly striving to actually get those standards enforced.

Here is the complete list:

The most polluted US cities in 2007Rank

Rank Smog: Rank Particles: Most polluted cities Most polluted cities 1 Los Angeles (CA) 1 Los Angeles (CA) 2 Bakersfield (CA) 2 Pittsburgh (PA) 3 Visalia-Porterville (CA) 3 Bakersfield (CA) 4 Fresno (CA) 4 Birmingham (AL) 5 Houston (TX) 5 Detroit (MI) 6 Merced (CA) 6 Cleveland (OH) 7 Dallas (TX) 7 Visalia (CA) 8 Sacramento (CA) 8 Cincinnati (OH) 9 Baton Rouge (LA) 9 Indianapolis (IN) 10 New York (NY) 10 ST Louis (MO) 11 Washington (DC), Baltimore (MD) 11 Chicago (IL) 12 Philadelphia (PA) 12 Lancaster (PA) 13 Modesto (CA) 13 Atlanta (GA) 14 Hanford (CA) 14 York (PA) 15 Phoenix (AZ) 15 Fresno (CA) 16 Charlotte (NC) 16 Weirton (WV) 17 Las Vegas (NV) 17 Hanford (CA) 18 Milwaukee (WI) 18 New York (NY) 19 St Louis (MO) 19 Canton (OH) 20 El Centro (CA) 20 Washington (DC) Baltimore (MD) 21 Kansas City (KS) 21 Charleston (WV) 22 Beaumont (TX) 22 Louisville (KY) 23 Chicago (IL) 23 Huntington (WV) 24 Grand Rapids (MI) 24 Philadelphia (PA) 25 Atlanta (GA) 25 Hagerstown (MD) 26 Cleveland (OH) 26 Rome (GA) Source: The American Lung Association