Los Angeles is one of the U.S.
cities most affected with air pollution. California, in general, is one of the
U.S. states with major air pollution issue as there are three cities in Golden
State that are ranked among top ten most polluted cities in United States – Los
Angeles, Bakersfield, and Visalla-Porterville.
Los Angeles is characterized with heavy traffic
– plenty of cars in combination with plenty of sunshine results in highly
polluted air.
The latest
study by the University of Southern California says that air pollution has
serious health consequences on L.A.
residents. In fact, at least 8 percent of the more than 300,000 cases of
childhood asthma in Los Angeles
County can be linked to
traffic-related air pollution at homes within 250 feet of a busy roadway.
Children
are particularly sensitive to polluted air and plenty of children in L.A. county lives near
major traffic corridors. The chronic effects of air pollution on respiratory
health have been well documented with plenty of different studies, with
children usually being the most affected.
Asthma may
not be the only disease resulting from excessive air pollution. Rob McConnell,
professor of preventive medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, warned that
„other diseases may be caused or exacerbated by urban air pollution, including
atherosclerosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and
neurological disorders.“
Polluted
air in California accounts each year for
around $193 million in hospital costs according to the Rand Corporation study,
with Los Angeles
spending the most money in nation on air pollution-related ailments.
Current
estimates say that air pollution kills around 25,000 people each year in California. This means that
the state of California
must come up with new clean air polices in order to ensure healthy living for
its residents.
The
possible solutions include reducing traffic, using electric or hybrid cars or traveling
with public transport, encourage walking, etc.
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