The worsening air quality crisis in US is seriously endangering the general public’s health. Nearly 156 million Americans are exposed to harmful levels of smog and soot, according to the American Lung Association’s 2025 State of the Air report. This is the highest amount in ten years, representing a 16% increase from the previous year. Extreme heat and wildfires brought on by climate change, along with the projected repeal of necessary environmental restrictions, are the leading causes of this worrying trend. Vulnerable communities are disproportionately affected by the worsening respiratory and cardiovascular conditions caused by air pollution.

Climate Change Fuels Pollution Surge

One of the leading causes of the worsening air quality crisis in US is climate change. Hotter and drier weather has led to intensified wildfires, now a significant source of particulate matter (PM_2.5), often known as soot, which can deeply enter the bloodstream and lungs. The Midwest and Northeast, which are not used to this kind of pollution, saw a sharp decline in air quality in 2023 when smoke from Canadian wildfires covered them. The report notes that wildfire smoke contributed 25% of unhealthy ozone days in 2023.

Warm, bright days—which are frequently increasing due to global warming—are more conducive to forming ozone or smog. Cities with the highest soot and ozone pollution levels include Los Angeles, Fresno, and Bakersfield in California; Phoenix and Dallas are also among the cities with the highest smog levels. With 4.2 million fatalities worldwide attributed to outdoor air pollution in 2019, these conditions raise the risk of heart disease, asthma attacks, and untimely deaths.

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Weakened Regulations Threaten Progress

There is a risk to decades of progress made under the Clean Air Act, which has cut emissions by 78% since 1970. Gains could be undone by the Trump administration’s efforts to loosen air quality standards, such as reviewing soot restrictions toughened in 2024. Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has suggested exclusions for coal-fired power stations, which are major producers of dangerous PM_2.5. People of colour are twice as likely to reside in high-pollution areas; thus, such rollbacks could make health inequities worse. Doctors stress that any regulatory rollback raises the danger of lung cancer, strokes, and cognitive impairments, and the State of the Air report cautions that removing these safeguards might have far-reaching effects on public health. The fact that only San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Bangor, Maine, were listed as clean cities highlights the widespread problem across the country.

Urgent action is required due to the combination of regulatory challenges and pollution caused by climate change. Essential actions include improving wildfire control, switching to clean energy, and fortifying national air quality regulations. Although the EPA’s new regulations to reduce emissions from cars and trucks are encouraging, their effectiveness depends on continued enforcement.

Protecting public health in the face of rising air pollution necessitates a dedication to strong environmental regulations and tackling the underlying causes of climate change. The public health catastrophe will worsen as more Americans breathe contaminated air if nothing is done.

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