User:FlyingCloud77/Air pollution in the united states
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Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials into the atmosphere, causing harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damaging ecosystems. Air pollution can cause health problems including, but not limited to, infections, behavioral changes, cancer, organ failure, and premature death. These health effects are not equally distributed across the U.S population; there are demographic disparities by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education. Air pollution can derive from natural sources (like wildfires), or anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic air pollution has affected the United States since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Air pollution is frequently measured in terms of the Air Quality Index, that provides a standardized numerical value for the six criteria pollutants.[1] For example, an AQI of 100 roughly corresponds to a concentration of a pollutant at the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).[2]
According to a 2009 report, around "60 percent of Americans live in areas where air pollution has reached unhealthy levels that can make people sick."[3] Analyzing data from 2016–2018, the American Lung Association found major declines in air quality, including increases in ground-level ozone.[4]
In 2016, a study found that levels of nitrogen oxides had plummeted over the previous decade,[5] due to better regulations, economic shifts, and technological innovations. NASA reported a 32% decrease of nitrogen dioxide in New York City and a 42% decrease in Atlanta between the periods of 2005–2007 and 2009–2011.[6]