A new study revealed that one in four Americans are breathing unhealthy air. To be more accurate, the First Street Foundation—an industry-leading physical climate risk data provider—said that this is around 83 million U.S. citizens.
If the air quality issue in the United States is not fixed, this number could reach over 125 million within decades. Although the U.S. government is implementing stricter rules against automobiles and factories, air pollution could become worse and harder to battle.
![[STUDY] 1 in 4 Americans Breath 'Unhealthy' Air; Experts Warn Over 125 Million Could Suffer From Air Quality Problem](https://1075914428.rsc.cdn77.org/data/images/full/286959/study-1-in-4-americans-breath-unhealthy-air-experts-warn-over-125-million-could-suffer-from-air-quality-problem.jpg?w=820 "[STUDY] 1 in 4 Americans Breath 'Unhealthy' Air; Experts Warn Over 125 Million Could Suffer From Air Quality Problem")
A plume of exhaust extends from the Mitchell Power Station, a coal-fired power plant built along the Monongahela River, 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, on September 24, 2013, in New Eagle, Pennsylvania.
This is because air quality issues are now linked to global warming. Here are other details Americans need to know about the worsening air quality in the U.S.
[STUDY] 1 in 4 Americans Breath 'Unhealthy' Air
The First Street Foundation said that one in four Americans are exposed to the air quality that AQI categorizes as "unhealthy." When air receives the color-coded red category of AQI, it means that it could negatively affect people's health.
Specifically, breathing "unhealthy" air during outdoor activities can lead to lung impairment, meaning Americans can suffer from respiratory ailments, such as coughs and chest pain.
The First Street Foundation explained that the air quality problem is now more linked to global warming because of higher temperatures and drought, which lead to more smoke-spewing wildfires.
What makes the air quality issue in the U.S. right now is that it's affecting people's health and the economy simultaneously.
"We're essentially adding back additional premature deaths, adding back additional heart attacks," explained First Street Foundation's Climate Implications Research Head Jeremy Porter.
"We're losing productivity in the economic markets by additionally losing outdoor job work days," he added via Yahoo Finance.
US States With Most Improved Air Quality
![[STUDY] 1 in 4 Americans Breath 'Unhealthy' Air; Experts Warn Over 125 Million Could Suffer From Air Quality Problem](https://1075914428.rsc.cdn77.org/data/images/full/286958/study-1-in-4-americans-breath-unhealthy-air-experts-warn-over-125-million-could-suffer-from-air-quality-problem.jpg?w=820 "[STUDY] 1 in 4 Americans Breath 'Unhealthy' Air; Experts Warn Over 125 Million Could Suffer From Air Quality Problem")
Downtown highrise buildings are shown cloaked in dirty air shortly after sunrise on September 11, 2002, in Los Angeles, California. Although air quality in Los Angeles has improved in recent decades, smog levels remain among the nation's worst. Numerous wildfires in the region have also contributed to Los Angeles' air pollution problem.
USA Facts provided the list of U.S. states with the most improved air quality from 1985 to 2021. These include the following:
- Indiana (39.53% better)
- California (39.1% better)
- Delaware (37.51% better)
- District of Columbia (33.57% better)
- West Virginia (30.83% better)
- Massachusetts (30.24% better)
- Pennsylvania (30.22% better)
- New York (28.88% better)
- Connecticut (28.68% better)
- Montana (28.21% better)
If you want to learn more specific details about these U.S. states with the most improved air quality, you can click this link.
Related Article: Air Pollution: People With Lung Conditions More at Risk Amid Climate Change, European Researchers Say
