Dangerous Air Pollution Impacting 156 Million Americans
April 23, 2025 | Source: Newsweek | by Jasmine Laws
Nearly half of the U.S. population is living with dangerous levels of air pollution, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.
The organization’s 2025 “State of the Air” report reveals that 156 million Americans resided in areas that received poor grades for either ozone or particle pollution—25 million more people than last year.
The report graded communities based on levels of ground-level ozone (smog), year-round fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and short-term spikes in PM2.5, also known as soot. It was based on air quality data from 2021 to 2023.