American Lung Association Released State of the Air Report for 2013

Recently, the American Lung Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to "improving lung health and preventing lung disease through Education, Advocacy and Research," released its State of the Air Report for 2013. According to the press release for the 179-page report, available here, 

significant progress [has been made] in the reduction of year-round particle pollution (soot) across the nation, but many cities that ranked among the most polluted had more unhealthy days of high ozone (smog) and short-term particle pollution than in the 2012 report. Despite that uptick, “State of the Air 2013” shows that the air quality nationwide continues the long-term trend to much healthier air.

Key “State of the Air 2013” findings include:

• More than 131.8 million people in the United States, which equates to 42 percent of the U.S. population, live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.
• Nearly 24.8 million people (8 percent) in the United States live in counties that have unhealthy levels of all three: ozone and short-term and year-round particle pollution.
• Eighteen cities had lower year-round levels of particle pollution, including 16 cities with their lowest levels recorded.

 

A State of the Aid Phone App is available here.

Prior versions of the Report are available below:
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000