Air Pollution in the U.S - Is It Getting Better or Worse?.

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In order to determine if air pollution is getting better or worse, we went back to this article about air pollution in th U.S., Here, we gladly impart information about the changes in current air pollution conditions in American regions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has instituted an air monitoring system covering each US region, thus creating awareness about health risks faced while in a particular area. The EPA's AirData, has spurred many US cities in improving their air quality, thus making their respective turfs more inviting places to live and work in, or even just to visit.

Whereas before, statistics have it that about 800,000 deaths each year are attributable to outdoor air pollution. Today, much improvement was noted among US cities because almost every city, county or municipality would rather be counted as one of the greenest places in the US, rather than be tagged as the most polluted.

The Three Most Damaging Air Pollutants that Affect Environment and Health

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) - that which is emitted in the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil during industrial processes such as smelting.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) - emissions produced from engine sources like cars and other motor vehicles as well as those emitted from stationary sources like power plants.

Particulate Matter (PM) – these are the fine particles floating in the air and are further classified according to its sizes; PM10, particles with less than 10 microns in diameter and PM2.5 with particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Particulate matters or PM are emitted from vehicles, power plants and industrial processes in almost equal measure.

Other pollutants considered are Carbon Monoxide, Lead, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which include hydrocarbons, alcohols, formaldehydes, and ethers. They also come from emissions produced by vehicles and industrial burning of fossil fuel.

However, recent scientific research discloses that even low levels of air pollution can have a negative effect on human health due to the presence of mixed fine particulate matters. The EPA and America's US city mayors have furnished lists of the largest producers of air pollution in the US. They are are categorized in accordance with the type of air pollutant that contributes to the poor quality of air in the U.S.

The ranking of these cities is no longer based on studies that link pollutants to the increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits in an area. Air particle pollution is the main cause of the respiratory disorders including death from long or short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM).

Find the lists below categorized according to types of air pollutant:

Top Ten Cities with the Highest Level of Particle Pollution Exposure – Short Term Category

1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -This city has consistently topped the list.
2. Fresno, California - previously ranked as 3rd and still getting worse.
3. Bakersfield, California- previously occupied the fourth position but was elevated to 3rd as LA dropped from it previous ranking
4. Los Angeles, California - used to rank second in this category.
5. Birmingham, Alabama -still the same rank as before
6. Salt Lake City, Utah - this city was no included in the previous list of most polluted US city.
7. Sacramento, California - ranking elevated one notch higher from its previous 8th-- despite the addition of Salt Lake to this list.
8. Logan, Utah - this city's ranking dropped from its previous 6th position.
9. Chicago, Illinois - another addition to this list, replacing Detroit's previous ranking.
10. Detroit, Michigan- dropping to the tenth from a previous 9th place.

Washington was a previous 10th placer, but today, Seattle, Washington tops the list of America's Most Green Cities, having little or no risk in the city’s air pollution aside from other environmentally positive green factors.