CLEVELAND (WJW/NEXSTAR) — The American Lung Association has released its annual “ State of the Air ” report, and several major cities are among the worst in the nation for year-round particle pollution, also known as “ soot .”
Each year for the past 26 years, the American Lung Association has analyzed data from official air quality monitors to compile the report and track unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution (smog) and particle pollution (soot). To determine particle pollution, PM2.5 (represented as µg/m3) is used, which is defined as fine particulate matter composed of particles 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter.
The report then ranks the most polluted and cleanest U.S. cities based on an area’s number of unhealthy air days and the city’s particulate pollution…