You’ll Be Shocked to Learn These Cities Have Bad Air
It doesn’t take much thought to cite a few major cities with bad air. Los Angeles? Definitely. New York City? Of course. Pittsburgh? Sure. But there are also some unexpected cities that rank poorly for air quality, and the reasons they suffer may surprise you!
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When you think of Denver, chances are you envision the nearby Rocky Mountains, clean urban spaces, and an active, outdoor lifestyle. Air pollution’s probably not on your radar, right? Surprisingly, Denver has bad air. Colorado’s most populous city ranked No. 8 of the metropolitan areas evaluated for high ozone days and No. 37 for 24-hour particle pollution. A single day of air exposure in Denver is equivalent to spending 19 minutes in a car with a smoker. Sources of pollution include the oil and gas industry, and traffic volume.
Getting away from big cities isn’t a guarantee of fresh air, either. Missoula, Montana, impresses when it comes to low ozone levels, ranking best in the nation. However, forest fires, prescribed burning, and residential and commercial wood stoves leave a lot of smoke hovering over the valley. Missoula is No. 10 for 24-hour particle pollution and No. 39 for annual particle pollution.
Fairbanks, Alaska, also has issues with bad air. Like Missoula, the problem stems from smoke. In the case of Fairbanks, wood and coal used for heat cause problems, pushing Fairbanks to the No. 5 spot on the list of worst cities for 24-hour particle pollution and to No. 23 for annual particle pollution.
Desert life also has its challenges. Phoenix is No. 5 in the nation for high ozone days, No. 21 for 24-hour particle pollution and No. 26 for annual particle pollution. Heat, drought, wildfires and dust storms, combined with climate, geography and traffic, lead to bad air in the Phoenix area.
Some of the worst air in the nation is in California, but it’s not in the major cities, where you might think. Bakersfield and Fresno tie for worst in the nation in terms of 24-hour particle pollution and annual particle pollution, and tie for second for high ozone days. Among the issues leading to these poor rankings: geography, agriculture, climate, oil industry and traffic.
There are a number of ways to manage living in a city with less-than-ideal air conditions. For starters, become aware of the daily levels and limit outdoor activity to earlier in the day, when air tends to be cleaner. Keeping air conditioners well maintained and replacing filters can also make a big difference.