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A new report shows improvements in air quality nationwide. But, despite seeing improvements, the Tampa Bay area still faces air quality issues.
The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution, and short term and year round particle pollution.
Overall, the nation continued improvements in air quality, partly because the implementation of the Clean Air Act in 1963. Ashley Lyerly is the Senior Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association.
“I think specifically for the Tampa Bay area, certainly we’ve seen improvements in air quality, but unfortunately, our sort of top line around ozone for the Tampa Bay area s, while we saw the best ever ranking, we did see the Tampa Ozone level ranking third worst in the southeast.”
Both ozone and particle pollution can lead to asthma and heart attacks, preterm births, and more. The report also found that people of color are more than twice as likely as white people to live in areas with poor rankings of air quality.
However, Lyerly says there’s things people can do to help improve air quality.
“Carpooling when you can, or taking mass transit, if it’s available to you. If you can afford it – making a transition to a zero-emission vehicle, and just sort of paying attention to how your actions may be impacting our air quality.”
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