The Most Polluted Cities in the United States

Yay for Los Angeles! The City of Angels no longer holds the dubious title of the Sootiest City in the United States. That honor is now held by Pittsburgh (though LA is still the most polluted other measures).

The American Lung Association's State of The Air 2008 report ranked metropolitan areas according to their ozone, year round and short-term particle pollution (Data [PDF])

The most polluted cities, according to the short-term particle pollution measure are:

1. Pittsburgh - New Castle, PA
2. Los Angeles - Long Beach - Riverside, CA
3. Fresno - Madera, CA
4. Bakersfield, CA
5. Birmingham - Hoover - Cullman, AL
6. Logan, UT - ID
7. Salt Lake City - Ogden - Clearfield, UT
8. Sacramento - Arden - Arcade - Yuba City, CA - NV
9. Detroit - Warren - Flint, MI
10. Washington - Baltimore - Northern Virginia, DC - MD - VA - WV

The most polluted cities, by year-round particle pollution:

1. Los Angeles - Long Beach - Riverside, CA
2. Pittsburgh - New Castle, PA
3. Bakersfield, CA
4. Birmingham - Hoover - Cullman, AL
5. Visalia - Porterville, CA
6. Atlanta - Sandy Springs - Gainesville, GA - AL
7. Cincinnati - Middletown - Wilmington, OH - KY - IN
8. Fresno - Madera, CA
8. Hanford - Corcoran, CA
8. Detroit - Warren - Flint, MI
8. Cleveland - Akron - Elyria, OH

The most polluted cities, by ozone pollution:

1. Los Angeles - Long Beach - Riverside, CA
2. Bakersfield, CA
3. Visalia - Porterville, CA
4. Houston - Baytown - Huntsville, TX
5. Fresno - Madera, CA
6. Sacramento - Arden - Arcade - Yuba City, CA - NV
7. Dallas - Fort Worth, TX
8. New York - Newark - Bridgeport, NY - NJ - CT - PA
9. Washington - Baltimore - Northern Virginia, DC - MD - VA - WV
10. Baton Rouge - Pierre Part, LA

I find it amazing that for all its environmental-consciousness, California leads the nation in having the most polluted cities.

Link - Thanks MoonCake!


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One thing everyone seems to be forgetting is that HOW the pollution is measured is a HUGE factor as to which cities will make the list and which wont. If you do your research you find all kinds of lists from various colleges and institutions with completely different cities on them which claim to be the most polluted. Some look at ozone, some measure ground and water pollutants, some measure particles in the air, some our own carbon footprint, and some a combination of any one of those! With all of these variables, it is easy for any major city to be on a list at some point. The question is, which list holds the most merit?
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POLLUTION TO THE OROYA CITY PERÚ
The years 2006 and 2007 the Blacksmith Institute have accomplished a research about the cities more contaminated to the world and arrived to the conclusion that the Oroya city was between the 10 cities more polluted of the world and, the environment Graffiti 2008 said that is between five more pollute too to the world. This qualifications are benevolents; according to my researchs to many years who I am publishing, the Oroya city is the most polluted to Peru, Latin America and of the world and every day is being more polluted: lead in blood in children in the Ancient Oroya in average 53.7 ug/dl ( DIGESA 1999); pregnancies women 39.49 ig/dl ( UNES 2000), new borns children 19.06 ug/dl, puerperal 319 ug/100 grams/placenta ( Castro 2003) and workers 50 ug/dl ( Doe Run 2003).Top lead in blood accepted 10 ug/dl; present day is 0 ug/dl ( Pediatric of Academy to USA)
When the Oroya city was in hands to the CentroMin eliminated only by the upper chimney to 167.500 meters, in average by day in tons: sulfur dioxide 1000, lead 2500, arsenic 2500, cadmium 40, particulate matter 50 and so on, more 24,000 to toxis gas product to the incomplete combustion of the coal, without count it is eliminated by industrial incinerator y by the 97 smalls chimneys, it is estimated 15,000; overall 45,000 tons for day (PAMA . El Complejo Metalúrgico de la Oroya, 1996); other research say that by this chimney only eliminate overall 119¨917,440 tons too every day to a velocity to 8.7 meters by second ( Chuquimantari C. Yauli-La Oroya Minería y Ciudades Empresas Pág. 57, 1992)
Doe Run envoy every three months the concentrations of the heavy metals to the Ministry to the Energy and Mines and with the sames datums Ceverstav have demostrated the pollution was increased; for example the sulfur dioxide it have increased in near to 300 %, by increment to the production (Cederstav. La Oroya no Espera 2002
The American Association to the Environment say that the environmental quality to the Oroya it is serious deteriorated since that Doe Run was owner and the same enterprise
declared that the concentrations of the heavy metals gas is ncreased in the air: lead 1160 %, cadmium 1990 % and arsenic 6006 % (Portugal, et al. Los Humos de Doe Run 2003)
Godofredo Arauzo
godo_ara@hotmail.com
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I think the subway system in Los Angeles should be 3x the size it is right now. Who wants to spend 2 hours stuck in a traffic jam when there is a car accident. Get with it Los Angeles!
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Don't be stupid people, CA is so polluted because of our MASSIVE population. Cali has over 36,000,000 people! Roughly 10% of the population of the U.S. This is why we have so many laws, because we have to! It's not because we're worse polluters than you ...
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