Ontario, California showing severe air pollution and urban density.
Ontario, California, has been designated as the most polluted city in the U.S. by a new IQAir study. This alarming ranking highlights the air quality issues in Ontario and surrounding cities like Bloomington and San Bernardino. The presence of PM2.5 particulate matter poses serious health risks, exacerbated by heavy traffic and industrial activities in the region. As the air quality continues to decline, residents are urged to take precautions to safeguard their health against these environmental dangers.
Welcome to Ontario, California, where the air might not be as clean as you’d hope. A new study from IQAir has put Ontario on the map—not for its charm, but for its notorious title as the worst city for air pollution in the United States. What’s more, it’s not alone; three other cities in the Inland Empire are also making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Sitting right behind Ontario, you’ll find Bloomington, Huntington Park, and San Bernardino rounding out the top five polluted cities in the nation. And if you thought Glendora had dodged a bullet, think again—it ranks eighth, while two cities from Central California, Visalia and Hanford, also find themselves among the ten most polluted. That’s a sobering confirmation that poor air quality is an issue affecting a wide area.
The controversial villain behind most of this pollution is fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. This isn’t just any kind of pollution; it poses serious health risks that can lead to lung and heart disease, along with reproductive issues. PM2.5 usually comes from sources like vehicles, construction sites, unpaved roads, smokestacks, and even wildfires. Knowing this, doesn’t it make you want to hold your breath?
One key player in the pollution game is the never-ending traffic on the crowded freeways of Southern California. Just picture it: big trucks, buses, and personal vehicles all contributing to the haze you’re breathing in. It gets worse, though! Thanks to prevailing westward winds, much of the air pollution from Los Angeles gets blown over to Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, making air quality even worse.
Add to that the bustling shipping and logistics industry, which tends to dump a lot of polluted fuel into the air as cargo containers arrive via ships and are transported by diesel trucks to warehouses in the Inland Empire. It’s a vicious cycle that keeps the pollution levels alarmingly high.
Fast forward to 2023, and the numbers are anything but encouraging. The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area had just 54 days of satisfactory air quality, while there were 59 unhealthy days for sensitive groups. For those keeping score, the Inland Empire has the worst air quality in the U.S. with a staggering low index score of 17.03. In comparison, the Greater Houston area manages to score a bit better, at 28.36, while Albuquerque follows with 29.64.
Interestingly, the air quality in the Inland Empire is worse than that of nearby Greater Los Angeles—thanks to natural wind patterns that gift the Inland Empire with a double dose of pollution from LA. El Centro also joins the list with its sixth-place ranking for bad air quality at a score of 33.94.
In early 2024, wildfires in Los Angeles County raised alarms once again by releasing toxic fumes that added to the pollution crisis. Not to mention, the residual effects of fireworks from Independence Day also contributed to hazardous air quality levels the following day in areas like Glendora and Azusa. The fireworks along with established pollutants have created a toxic cocktail that’s hard to ignore.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has warned residents about the dangers of PM2.5 exposure. We’re talking about serious health complications including heart attacks and aggravated asthma symptoms. It might just be time to pay a little extra attention to what you’re breathing in.
So, what can residents do in the face of such dire air quality? Simple recommendations include staying indoors, avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, and utilizing air purifiers when necessary. Protecting your health is paramount, and making small adjustments can make a world of difference.
The skies might be gray over the Inland Empire, but with a little awareness and the right precautions, we can all do our part to fight against this silent enemy we call pollution.
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