Houston ranks high on most polluted city list

Lung Association report

Vilas Bhuchar, May 03, 10.

The Houston-Baytown-Huntsville region ranked number 7 in ozone pollution and number 16 in year-round particle pollution on an American Lung Association’s Worst Polluted Cities list, according to the Houston Business Journal.

The Houston-Baytown-Huntsville region was the only Texas city listed on the Worst Polluted Cities list, and the Austin-Round Rock area ranked number one in the nation in having the lowest level of soot-air concentration in the U.S, adds the story.

Other parts of Texas also fared well in the “State of the Air 2010” report, which used data collected in 2006, 2007, and 2008, notes the story:a

The Central Texas region received an “A” grade for short-term particle pollution levels, along with the Texas areas of Amarillo, Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville, Corpus Christi-Kingsville, Longview-Marshall and McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr.

Amarillo also made the top listing for long-term particle pollution levels and Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville and Laredo took a spot on the lowest ozone levels list.

The report ranks Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York City, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. as having the cleanest overall air.

(Photo credit: larryrrr)