American Lung Association 2011 State of the Air Report Summary

The American Lung Association (ALA) releases a report every year called the State of the Air Report, which collects air quality data from across the country and breaks down the important trends. You can read the entire ALA 2011 State of the Air Report online, but here are some of the key findings:

• The strongest improvement came in reducing ozone smog levels across the nation. More than half of the country’s most smog-polluted cities (including New York) experienced their best year yet. All metro areas in the 25 cities listed as most polluted by ozone showed improvement over last year’s report.
• All but two of the 25 cities listed as most polluted by year-round levels of particle pollution (sometimes called soot) improved over last year’s report. Nineteen of those cities (including New York) reported their best-ever particle pollution levels.
• Out of 277 metropolitan areas New York ranked:
• 17th for high ozone days
• 33rd for 24-hour particle pollution
• 21st for annual particle pollution