Southern California’s dirty air

A study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded Southern Californians are among those most at risk of death and illness from air pollution in the nation.

The study, published in the journal Risk Analysis, used data collected in 2005 to determine areas of the United States most exposed to fine-particulate and ozone pollution, according to California Watch. Of the most populated metropolitan areas in the state, Los Angeles had the highest estimated rate of deaths attributable to air pollution at 10 percent, with San Jose ranking lowest at 3.5 percent. A similar study conducted in the Bay Area last year concluded that about 3.8 percent of all deaths were caused by poor air quality.

Two separate studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggested living in a metropolitan area is linked to a higher risk of stroke and a more rapid decline in thinking and memory skills, in addition to exacerbating respiratory illness and increasing risk of heart attack.