American Lung Association Issues Air Quality Warning

Air pollution kills as many as 24,000 people per year in California alone. According to the American Lung Association’s 2008 State of the Air report, California is home to five of the eight most polluted metro areas in the nation. (achoo! ALLERGY’s hometown of Atlanta comes in at number 12 on the list.)

Pollution from soot, smoke, metal, dust, diesel engines, agriculture, and construction have been linked to lung cancer, heart attacks, and stroke, as well as asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Here are some key findings from ALA’s State of the Air report:

• Two out of five people live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particulate pollution.
• Nearly one-third of the U.S. population live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone.
• Over a quarter of U.S. citizens live in areas with unhealthy short-term levels of particle pollution.
  
• One in six U.S. citizens lives in an area with unhealthy year-round levels of particle pollution.
• At-risk groups include children and elderly, as well as people with asthma, chronic bronchitis emphysema, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.
• As an individual, you can help reduce air pollution by doing the following: drive less, don’t burn wood or trash, use less electricity, and get involved in your community.

When outdoors in polluted areas, wear a respirator mask, and when indoors, run an air purifier to avoid inhaling dangerous particles.