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4d ago

156 Million Americans Now Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds

A new report highlights worsening air quality driven by climate change, wildfires, and proposed EPA regulatory rollbacks.

File photo: Thick heavy black smoke from wildfires shrouds buildings in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
Smoke lingers over a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The skyline in Chicago, Illinois, in late January 2025. Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI, ranked 15 on the worst cities with ozone pollution, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

Overview

  • The American Lung Association's 2025 report shows 46% of the U.S. population—156 million people—live in areas with failing grades for ozone or particle pollution.
  • The number of people exposed to unhealthy air increased by 25 million compared to last year, the largest rise in a decade.
  • Wildfires in Canada and extreme heat in Texas during 2023 significantly worsened air quality, shifting pollution burdens eastward.
  • Communities of color, particularly Hispanic populations, face disproportionate exposure, with Hispanic individuals nearly three times more likely to live in areas failing all pollution measures.
  • The EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, has proposed rollbacks to key Clean Air Act regulations, raising concerns about further public health risks.