Ozone and particle pollution levels rise sharply, annual air quality study reports
of ConsumerAffairsKey takeaways
- 156 million Americans exposed to dangerous pollution as climate-driven weather events worsen air quality
- Ozone and particle pollution levels rise sharply, affecting vulnerable communities the most
- Report warns EPA cuts could undermine air monitoring as air quality trends reverse
The air Americans breathe is growing increasingly hazardous, according to the 2025 State of the Air report from the American Lung Association. The latest findings reveal that around 156 million Americans nearly half the U.S. population now live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, a troubling surge fueled by climate change-driven wildfires, extreme heat, and ongoing industrial emissions.
The report, based on data collected from 2021 to 2023, paints a grim picture: the number of Americans exposed to high levels of ozone and fine particle pollution has risen by about 25 million since last years report.
A shifting, worsening landscape
This years results were a surprise, even for us, said Katherine Pruitt, the American Lung Associations national senior director for policy. Particularly when it comes to worsening ozone levels across much of the country.
Previously concentrated in the West, unhealthy air has now spread across the Midwest, Northeast, and parts of the central U.S., including states like Minnesota and Texas. Though Western states like California saw slight improvements in 2023, California cities still dominate the rankings for worst air quality Los Angeles-Long Beach topped ozone pollution, while Bakersfield-Delano ranked worst for particle pollution.
Both extreme heat and wildfires can spike levels of harmful pollutants. Wildfire smoke, for example, carries microscopic particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, increasing risks of heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, and premature death. Similarly, extreme temperatures catalyze the formation of ground-level ozone, better known as smog, another severe respiratory hazard.
Disproportionate impacts
The report highlights that vulnerable groups including children, seniors, pregnant people, and individuals with asthma or lung conditions face the highest risks. People of color, who are more likely to live in heavily polluted areas, also disproportionately bear the burden.
Those are the people that are going to suffer the most and suffer first, Pruitt emphasized.
In addition to respiratory diseases, pollution exposure is linked to preterm births, cardiovascular disease, and higher mortality rates.
Rollbacks threaten monitoring and progress
While regulations like the 1970 Clean Air Act have historically driven dramatic improvements cutting major air pollutants by nearly 80% over decades recent climate trends are reversing progress, the report warns.
Adding to the concern, the Trump administration has proposed significant cuts to the Environmental Protection Agencys budget and rollback of air quality standards, moves that the report argues could severely undercut air monitoring and public health protections. Air quality forecasts and critical data collection both key to public warnings about hazardous conditions rely heavily on EPA infrastructure like Airnow.gov.
Of more than 3,000 U.S. counties, fewer than 900 had sufficient air monitoring to be included in the report, meaning vast stretches of rural America remain unmeasured and unprotected.
Our air is getting worse because our world is changing, Pruitt said. We need strong protections, not fewer.
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Posted: 2025-04-28 01:38:13
