Almost four out of every 10 people in the United States live in a place where air pollution is considered bad enough to put their health at risk, the American Lung Association warned in its latest 'State of the Air' report released on Wednesday. That proportion of people — about 39% of the population — had risen sharply since earlier rounds of pollutant data were analyzed for the annual report last year, and the trends were especially pronounced in certain parts of the country.
cities for daily and year-round particle pollution was Bakersfield, California, which received the same ranking in last year's 'State of the Air' report. Bakersfield, an industrial city known for agriculture, mining and oil refineries, has been ranked worst for year-round particle pollution five years in a row.