Muscatine County ranked 24th in the nation for areas most polluted by short-term fine particulate pollution, according to the 2011 "State of the Air Report" by the American Lung Association (ALA).
Muscatine was the only county in Iowa in the top 25, but both Scott and Clinton counties received "F" grades for short-term fine particulate pollution.
The ALA defines "short-term” particle pollution as spikes in levels of particulate (of less than 2.5 microns in diameter) that can last from hours to days. Those days or weeks of high levels can be dangerous, even deadly, according to the lung association.
Only 12 cities had fewer unhealthy days or lower daily levels, while 16 of the cities on the list did worse than in 2006–2008, the report said.
The 12 cities which improved by having cut the average number of days with high particle levels were : Pittsburgh, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Visalia, CA; Birmingham, AL; Sacramento, CA; Modesto, CA; Stockton, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Louisville, KY; Phoenix, AZ; San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA; and Wheeling, WV.
The Chicago metropolitan area had the same average number of
unhealthy days in 2007–2009 as in 2006–2008.
The remaining 16 cities had more days or higher daily levels:
Bakersfield, CA (ranked most polluted); Fresno, CA; Salt
Lake City, UT; Provo, UT; Hanford, CA; Logan, UT; Merced,
CA; Eugene-Springfield, OR; San Diego, CA; Seattle-Tacoma,
WA; Fairbanks, AK; Macon, GA; Green Bay, WI; Davenport,
IA; Portland, OR; and Madison, WI.
CLICK HERE to download the full American Lung Association "State of the Air" Report.
