The study reports the considerable health benefits of removing from the air harmful fine particulates, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides produced by electricity generation, transportation, industrial activities and building functions such as heating and cooking. Highway vehicles make up the largest single share.
More than 137 million Americans, representing over 40 percent of the U.S. population, are living in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of particle pollution or ozone, according to the “State of the Air” 2022 report from the American Lung Association.