Honolulu has been ranked among the cleanest cities in the country in the American Lung Association's State of the Air 2010 report.
Honolulu was No. 3 behind Cheyenne, Wyo., and Santa Fe-Espanola, N.M., in year-round particulate levels, and was one of 12 cities to receive an "A" rating for ozone pollution (lack of ozone pollution). The study examined fine particulate matter over 24-hour periods and as a year-round average.
The Lung Association's report concludes that a decade of cleanup measures to reductions in emissions from coal-fired powered plants and the transition to cleaner diesel fuels and engines have paid off in cutting levels of particle and ozone pollution, especially in eastern and midwestern cities, including Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York City, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.-Baltimore, Md.
Bakersfield, Calif., had the nation's worst short-term particulate levels; Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz., was worst in year-round particulate levels; and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, Calif., was worst in ozone pollution. In some cities in California the air was more polluted than previously measured.
Despite the progress, the report says that more than half the population of the United States still suffers pollution levels that are often dangerous to breathe. Nearly 30 million people live in areas with chronic levels of pollution so that even when levels are relatively low, people can be exposed to particles that will increase the risk of asthma, lung damage and premature death.
About 24 million people live in 18 counties with unhealthy levels of ozone, short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution. The report added that new research shows the risk of health problems from pollution may be worse than once thought, especially for infants and children.
Air Quality is only one of the many reasons to consider relocation to Hawaii Kai in Honolulu. Many studies have shown that we not only have clear air, but clean water, a healthy lifestyle, and longer lives. Call or email me for a free copy of my Relocation Package. Maybe it isn't "What Price Paradise" but "What Price is Not Living in Paradise?"
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