The American Lung Association's report reveals a significant worsening of air quality in the US. Approximately 156 million Americans lived in areas with unhealthy air, a 25 million increase from the previous year. Climate change effects, including heatwaves, droughts, and wildfire smoke, are major contributing factors. Ozone levels spiked, particularly in Texas, and Canadian wildfire smoke caused record-high exposure in the Northeast. This reverses progress made since the Clean Air Act, with the EPA planning to rollback environmental regulations, potentially exacerbating the problem. Bakersfield, California had the worst air quality.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.