SAN DIEGO (KGTV)--San Diego returns to the list of top 10 dirtiest cities for ozone pollution, according to the American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report released Wednesday.
America's Finest City now ranks seventh, behind Modesto and Visalia, for number of unhealthy days of ozone pollution. The number of unhealthy ozone days in San Diego County has been on the rise since 2014, said Debra Kelly.
Here's the complete Top 10 Ozone Pollution ranking, which is base don data collected in 2013-2015:
- Los Angeles - Long Beach
- Bakersfield
- Fresno - Madera
- Visalia - Porterville - Hanford
- Modesto - Merced
- San Diego - Carlsbad
- Sacramento - Roseville
The association's report showed that more than 90 percent of Californians live in areas with unhealthy air at some point during the year.
"My six-year-old son has asthma and particle pollution like dust and dirt can have an impact on his outdoor activities," said Dominique Clark, a resident of San Diego. "When his asthma flares up, it can cause chest tightness and wheezing. We try not to let it impact our life, but it's something we have to balance on a daily basis: protecting him while letting him enjoy being a kid."
It's not all bad news though; the county's particle pollution levels dropped to its lowest level ever for year-round particle pollution and there were fewer unhealthy days for particle pollution.
Sandy Coronilla is a KGTV digital producer. Follow her @10NewsSandy
