The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” 2021 report contends 40% of Americans or more than 135 million people living in places with unhealth levels of ozone and pollution.
Oklahoma cities did not make the list of the most polluted places to live. That list featured many cities in California. More West Coast states were among the top 25 as well.
Five counties in Oklahoma were ranked among some of the cleanest counties for ozone air pollution. They were Adair, choctaw, Kay, Ottawa and Sequoyah Counties.
Four were among the cleanest counties for short-term particle pollution—Comanche, Oklahoma, Pittsburg and Sequoyah.
The report showed Oklahoma County had 16 high ozone days from 2017 to 2019, the most in the state. Canadian, Osage and Tulsa Counties were next with 8 each. Cleveland and Dewey Counties had 7.
“The burden of living with unhealthy air is not shared equally,” concluded the report. It stated that people of color are more than three times more likely to be breathing the most polluted air than white people.
