California cities rank high in air pollution

The American Lung Association released its annual “State of the Air” report Wednesday that listed California cities among the most polluted in the nation, with Los Angeles’s levels of ozone among the highest.

Even though Los Angeles and other Southern California cities have high levels of pollution, the pollution levels have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade. Bakersfield and Los Angeles rounded out the top five cities with high levels of toxic particles or soot, with the number one and two spots respectively.

Premature deaths related to unhealthy air average 9,000 a year in California, according to the state Air Resources Board. Health complications from air pollution include asthma aggravation, diabetes and heart and lung disease.

Compiled data from both federal and state agencies concluded close to 90 percent of Californians live in counties with ‘dirty’ air.

Soot, tailpipe emissions, and oil refineries contribute to the continued pollution of Los Angeles air.