"125 Million Americans or 42 per cent of the U.S. population. live in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution."

The American Lung Association has just released its 2008 report on ozone and particle pollution. The comprehensive report rates most U.S. counties and cities by ozone and particle pollution levels, so go to StateOfTheAir.org and find out how your local area stacked up.

Here is a quick pollution refresher from StateOfTheAir.org:

"The ozone layer found high in the upper atmosphere (the stratosphere) is beneficial because it shields us from much of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. However, ozone air pollution at ground level where we can breathe it (in the troposphere) is harmful. It causes serious health problems. Ozone is formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere from two raw gases that do come out of tailpipes, smokestacks and many other sources. It can cause asthma attacks, coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain when inhaling deeply, and even premature death."

"Particle pollution refers to a mix of very tiny solid and liquid particles that are in the air we breathe. Burning fossil fuels in factories, power plants, steel mills, smelters, diesel- and gasoline-powered motor vehicles (cars and trucks) and equipment generate a large part of the raw materials for fine particles. Particle pollution can increase your risk of dying from lung cancer."

"It’s not all bad news, “Since 1970, the Clean Air Act has proven to be one of the nation’s leading public health laws. Thanks to clean-up measures put in place under the Act, emissions from all pollutants have dropped in half since 1980.”

» State of the Air (American Lung Association)