Report: Phoenix continues to have some of the worst air quality in nation
Getty Images
A view of a layer of smog pollution from the summit of Piestewa Peak in Phoenix.
Phoenix continues to see some of the dirtiest air across the United States.
In the American Lung Association’s latest State of the Air report, the city ranks fifth in ozone pollution and ninth worst for year-round particle pollution.
That is only slightly better than last year. Brad Busby with the state Department of Environmental Quality says our climate and geography contribute to the problem.
"We do live in the desert Southwest, there’s dry, dusty conditions. There’s abundant sunshine. That sunshine is a key component in the formation of ozone. So we kind of have that working against us," Busby said.
Maricopa and Pinal Counties both received F grades in all the ways the Lung Association measures pollution.
