Bay Area Among 10 Worst Regions For Air Pollution: American Lung Association

BAY AREA, CA -- The San Francisco Bay Area ranks among the top 10 most polluted regions in the country, according to a report issued April 19 by the American Lung Association.

The State of the Air 2017 report, which is based on air quality monitoring from 2013 to 2015, found that overall, the Bay Area's particle pollution ranked sixth nationwide for the number of unhealthy days and fourth nationwide for year-round levels.

This puts area residents at risk for health problems like asthma and lung cancer.

"I run cross-country and compete in track and field, so I always need to be aware of my surroundings," Jaxin Woodward, a 15-year-old high school athlete from Vacaville, said in a statement. "Exhaust from cars triggers asthma attacks a lot for me."

There was a reduction in the number of days with unhealthy levels of ozone. San Francisco, Marin, Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties all had zero unhealthy ozone days during the period monitored.

The report also indicates that the number of unhealthy ozone days have dropped throughout the state and nationwide, which the American Lung Association attributes to the federal Clean Air Act.

Air quality laws and policies to combat climate change save lives, according to the American Lung Association, and need to be protected in Congress.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Danica-Lee Zivanovic/EyeEm/Getty Images