Unhealthy Air Pollution Levels Affect Nearly Half of All Americans

U.S. health experts warn recent cuts to the EPA could further degrade air quality, increasing the risk of pollution-related health problems.

After decades of progress combating air pollution, researchers warns that 156 million U.S. residents live in areas with high levels of ozone and particulate matter, which could pose serious health risks for communities nationwide.

According to findings published in the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2025 report, 25 million more Americans are breathing unhealthy air this year than last, as recent data shows air quality worsening after decades of improvement.

The American Lung Association is a non-profit organization focused on improving lung health and preventing lung cancer and other lung diseases. Part of that mission includes completing the State of the Air report, which has analyzed data from official air quality monitors for the past 26 years. This year’s report includes data from 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The new report indicates that climate change and its contributing factors, extreme heat, drought and wildfires have exposed more communities to unhealthy air. Furthermore, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates 2023 had the highest global temperatures ever recorded.

While much of the air pollution has been concentrated in the West, the distribution of air pollution is shifting to central and eastern areas. Texas had high temperatures and high levels of ozone, and the Northeast experienced high levels of air pollution from Canadian wildfires.

The report also notes communities made up of people of color are disproportionately exposed to air pollution. While people of color make up 41% of the U.S. population, half of people living in counties with failing grades in air pollution are people of color.

Latinos are three times as likely to live in communities with failing air pollution grades compared to white residents, according to the report.

Experts from the American Lung Association warn that air quality is likely to decrease over the next several years due to cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) staffing and funding issued by the Trump administration. The organization predicts these cuts will reduce the agency’s ability to address air pollution.

The association emphasized the need for stronger advocacy in support of the EPA and urged citizens to contact Congress and push for continued funding of clean air programs aimed at improving the nation’s air quality.

Air Pollution Health Risks

The State of the Air report also highlighted the significant impacts air pollution has on human health, which is supported by a wide body of research highlighting the many risks air pollution poses.

Exposure to air pollution, particulate matter and ozone can increase the risk of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, worsening chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Exposure can also increase the risk of infections, heart attacks, strokes, impaired cognitive function, preterm birth, low birth weight and death.

Particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) is a type of air pollution made up of ultra-tiny particles of soot, dirt and droplets, which are smaller than 2.5 micrometers, or 70 times smaller than the width of a single human hair. The microscopic particles can easily enter the airways and the bloodstream and cause disease.

PM 2.5 is responsible for 50,000 premature deaths in the U.S. every year, the report found.

In addition, research published by the University of California, Irvine indicates PM 2.5 increases the risk of preterm birth. Data from a study published earlier this year indicates exposure to ozone early in life increases children’s risk of asthma and wheezing by 30%.

Another study published by researchers from Taiwan concluded air pollution increases a person’s risk of having skin cancer. In addition, long-term exposure to air pollution can increase a person’s risk of breast cancer, according to data published by the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.