Air pollution in the U.S. - statistics & facts
Industrialization and the growth of factories resulted in high levels of air pollution in the United States in previous decades. But the implementation of strict environmental laws like the Clean Air Act of the 1970s, as well as state-of-the-art air pollution controls, has led to a reduction in emissions and vast improvements in the nation’s air quality. Nevertheless, air pollution remains a big concern in the U.S., with millions of Americans still exposed to poor air quality in their daily lives.
Air pollution can also come from natural sources. Pollution from wildfires, for example, is a growing source of concern in the U.S. This was especially the case in 2023, when smoke from large forest fires in Canada spread south of the border, blanketing populated cities like New York in a smoky, toxic haze and exposing people to some of the poorest air quality in the world. On June 7, 2023, smoke from wildfires subjected the average American to PM2.5 concentrations of almost 30 μg/m3. There are fears that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of such events across the U.S., which would reverse years of improvements in air quality.
Air pollution exposure in the U.S.
Short-term and long-term exposure to hazardous air pollutants can lead to health impacts like heart disease, strokes, and lung cancer, all of which can result in premature death. As such, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is required to set air quality standards (NAAQS) to protect public health. The current annual standard for particulate matter (PM2.5), which is among the deadliest of pollutants, is 12 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). Since the turn of the century, nationwide average annual PM2.5 concentrations have fallen more than 40 percent, to less than eight μg/m3. Still, there are believed to be more than 20 million people living in U.S. counties with PM2.5 concentrations above the NAAQS. As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, millions of dollars in federal funding will go toward programs that will reduce pollution and improve the air quality for millions of U.S. Americans.Sources of air pollution in the U.S.
Air pollution comes from a variety of sources in the U.S. Some of the primary contributors of human-made air pollution include power plants, industrial facilities, and road vehicles. These release harmful pollutants into the air, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, PM2.5, and sulfur dioxide. It is estimated that eliminating emissions from these heavily polluting sources could avoid more than 50,000 premature deaths a year in the U.S.Air pollution can also come from natural sources. Pollution from wildfires, for example, is a growing source of concern in the U.S. This was especially the case in 2023, when smoke from large forest fires in Canada spread south of the border, blanketing populated cities like New York in a smoky, toxic haze and exposing people to some of the poorest air quality in the world. On June 7, 2023, smoke from wildfires subjected the average American to PM2.5 concentrations of almost 30 μg/m3. There are fears that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of such events across the U.S., which would reverse years of improvements in air quality.
