In the US, where people breathe increasingly dirty air, one small city stands out

Key Points:

• Bangor, Maine, is the only U.S. city to appear on all three "cleanest cities" air quality lists by the American Lung Association, with zero days of unhealthy ozone and particle pollution and very low year-round particle pollution levels.
• The 2024 "State of the Air" report reveals that nearly half of Americans (about 152 million) live in counties with failing grades for air pollution, with people of color disproportionately affected by poor air quality.
• Ozone and particle pollution remain major health threats, linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, premature death, and other serious conditions; Los Angeles and Bakersfield, California, rank worst for ozone and particle pollution respectively.
• Bangor's clean air is attributed to favorable weather patterns, abundant forest cover, low population density, and distance from major pollution sources, supported historically by Maine senators who championed landmark air quality regulations.
• Despite progress, recent federal rollbacks on environmental regulations and climate change impacts like heat and wildfires pose ongoing challenges to maintaining and improving air quality nationwide.