The Cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Carlsbad ranked as the sixth most polluted in the nation, according to a recent report by the American Lung Association’s 2022 State of the Air report.
The report measures air pollution across the nation to find the cleanest and most polluted places to live. The rankings are categorized by ozone, short-term, and year-round particle pollution.
San Diego, Chula Vista, and Carlsbad ranked sixth for high ozone days out of 226 metropolitan areas. It also ranked 13 for 24-hour particle pollution out of 221 metropolitan areas and ranked 33 for annual particle pollution out of 202 metropolitan areas.
Los Angeles and Long Beach lead the chart for pollution by Ozone, while Bakersfield and Fresno, Madera, and Hanford lead the year-round and short-term particle pollution categories, respectively.
Since its inception in 2000, the American Lung Association "State of the Air" report is compiled with data from EPA and applies a grading system to provide information to the public about the air they breathe. The air quality data used in the report is collected at official monitoring sites across the United States by the federal, state, local and Tribal governments.
The report found that more than 137 million people in the United States are living in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone. According to the American Lung Association, this is a 2.1 million increase in people breathing unhealthy air compared to last year.
According to the American Lung Association, you can take action to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of air pollution through the following recommendations:
- Check daily air pollution forecasts in your area at airnow.gov. The color-coded forecasts let you know when the air is unhealthy in your community. When the air is bad, move your exercise plans and other activities indoors.
- Protect yourself from wildfire smoke if you live in a fire-prone area. Learn more about using masks and creating a clean room inside your home with our wildfire resources at Lung.org/wildfire.
- Reduce your contributions to air pollution. Prioritize walking, biking, and public transit over gasoline-powered vehicles. Conserve electricity and purchase your power from clean, non-combustion sources if you can. Don’t burn wood, leaves, or trash. Learn more about how to reduce your impact with our Stand Up For Clean Air initiative at Lung.org/air.
Visit the American Lung Association for more information.
