American Lung Association: California Has America’s Dirtiest Air

Millions of Californians inhabit places with dirty air according to an annual report card released by the American Lung Association on Wednesday. Two major urban regions in the sunny state ranked as the nation's most polluted area.

As per the report made by American Lung Association's State of the Air 2016, Bakersfield is right on the top of the list as far as having the unhealthiest days is concerned, owing to its high content of airborne particles emitted from fireplaces, farm equipment, diesel trucks and highway traffic. According to the report, Los Angeles remains on the forefront as a city with the most harmful ozone pollution in the country, due to the smog emitted from car tailpipes. Incidentally, air pollution can lead to lung cancer and heart attacks, trigger asthma and also cause premature death.

The report, which was made using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data for three years ending in 2014, revealed that eight out of 10 Californians live in counties that have unhealthy levels of particle and ozone pollution. The finding means that an approximate population of 32 million is exposed to bad air.

Bakersfield and several communities in Central Valley are trying to fight the effects of the bowl-shaped topography which is outlined by mountain ranges. High temperatures and drought are adding on to the bad quality of the air that has become even more stagnant in the last couple of years according to officials.

However, all is not bleak, according to Bonnie Holmes-Gen, senior director of air quality and climate change at the American Lung Association in California. She feels that despite the poor quality of air reported, California has been making progress, though there is still a lot more that needs to be done. Air pollution control officer from San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, Seyed Sadredin, adds that about $40 billion has been spent by local businesses since 1992 to curb air pollution, and there has been a nearly 80 percent reduction in it since the 1980s.