Majority of Americans Exposed to Dangerous Air Quality, Alarming Report Reveals

The American Lung Association's latest report reveals that about 156 million Americans are living with unsafe air quality conditions. Proposed cuts in environmental regulations by the government pose a serious threat to public health, according to experts.

April 23, 2025 - A recent report from the American Lung Association highlights an alarming statistic: roughly 156 million Americans—or nearly 46 percent of the U.S. population—are exposed to unhealthy levels of ozone, particulate pollution, or both. This disconcerting situation has been attributed in part to potential regulatory rollbacks by the Trump administration aimed at relaxing long-standing environmental protections.

In the words of Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonologist at Johns Hopkins and representative for the Lung Association, the Clean Air Act has been crucial for improving lung health. "The most significant factor improving patient outcomes in lung health is the Clean Air Act," he stated, emphasizing the urgent need for legislative frameworks to maintain air quality standards.

Analyzing pollution levels from 2021 to 2023—including the record-breaking wildfire season in Canada—the report characterized air quality across various U.S. counties using a grading scale from A to F. While historical trends indicate improvement since the introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1970, with key pollutants decreasing by almost 80%, the report reveals that millions still breathe contaminated air, resulting in serious health concerns and an increased risk of premature death.

Specifically, at least 156.1 million individuals live in areas rated with an F grade for at least one pollutant, and over 42 million dwell in counties that failed to meet standards for all three major pollutants. Of 885 monitored counties, a staggering 480 counties reported crossing at least one pollution threshold, raising urgent alarms for public health officials across the nation.