American Lung Association American Lung Association State of the Air 2005--Protect the Air You Breathe
American Lung Association State of the Air 2005

Table 3: People at Risk In 25 Counties Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution (24-Hour PM2.5)

At-Risk Groups High PM2.5 Days in Unhealthy Ranges 2001-2003
2005 Rank1 County ST Total Population2 Under 183 65 and Over3 Pediatric Asthma4,10 Adult Asthma5,10 Chronic Bronchitis6,10 Emphy
sema7,10
CV Disease8 Diabetes9 Weighted Avg.11 Grade12
1 Riverside CA 1,782,650 508,894 211,764 43,307 107,143 50,216 17,942 406,693 80,444 81.0 F
2 Fresno CA 850,325 259,249 82,665 22,062 49,895 22,966 7,676 180,181 35,477 51.5 F
3 Kern CA 713,087 216,213 65,323 18,400 41,841 19,203 6,268 149,137 29,278 50.0 F
4 Los Angeles CA 9,871,506 2,695,948 974,944 229,425 600,872 279,077 92,796 2,194,880 430,657 49.5 F
5 Allegheny PA 1,261,303 270,004 217,804 22,977 82,896 41,689 17,481 368,535 74,455 42.8 F
6 San Bernardino CA 1,859,678 572,365 154,222 48,708 108,246 49,429 15,615 378,603 74,076 24.2 F
7 Lane OR 330,527 71,413 44,675 6,077 24,088 10,535 3,972 88,181 17,636 22.8 F
8 Orange CA 2,957,766 781,268 303,000 66,486 182,347 85,437 29,014 680,424 133,879 22.5 F
9 Salt Lake UT 924,247 279,374 75,865 23,775 46,834 24,596 7,643 187,029 36,429 20.3 F
10 Sacramento CA 1,330,711 357,836 143,835 30,452 81,731 38,366 13,314 308,304 60,822 19.5 F
11 Cuyahoga OH 1,363,888 334,954 208,278 28,505 73,134 42,681 17,220 369,870 74,387 17.7 F
12 Tulare CA 390,791 126,408 36,887 10,757 22,353 10,274 3,433 80,469 15,870 16.0 F
13 Jefferson AL 658,141 160,713 88,472 13,677 37,115 20,262 7,719 170,550 34,100 15.5 F
14 Klamath OR 64,769 16,231 9,906 1,381 4,452 2,039 837 17,841 3,611 14.8 F
15 Wayne MI 2,028,778 564,093 237,742 48,004 133,842 58,934 21,568 486,926 96,802 14.5 F
16 Baltimore City MD 628,670 156,189 78,852 13,292 38,661 18,933 6,936 155,736 31,012 12.3 F
17 Lake IN 487,476 129,244 63,287 10,999 28,921 14,652 5,603 123,790 24,768 12.2 F
17 Jefferson KY 699,017 169,594 93,315 14,432 51,982 21,586 8,215 182,029 36,340 12.2 F
19 Kings CA 138,564 38,461 10,142 3,273 8,350 3,709 1,052 27,004 5,182 12.0 F
19 Utah UT 398,059 137,168 25,580 11,673 19,725 9,409 2,493 65,445 12,497 12.0 F
21 Jefferson OH 71,888 14,795 13,388 1,259 4,065 2,443 1,063 22,026 4,478 11.7 F
21 Cook IL 5,351,552 1,385,127 620,097 117,874 298,248 157,488 55,992 1,280,688 253,277 11.7 F
23 Hamilton OH 823,472 206,939 110,200 17,611 43,630 25,080 9,549 210,802 42,155 11.3 F
24 Stanislaus CA 492,233 145,649 49,022 12,395 29,206 13,535 4,575 106,966 21,082 10.5 F
25 Philadelphia PA 1,479,339 371,643 199,941 31,627 92,158 44,636 16,821 372,307 74,207 10.3 F
25 San Diego CA 2,930,886 748,944 321,719 63,735 183,383 85,592 29,435 682,801 134,659 10.3 F

(1) Counties are ranked by weighted average. See note 11 below.
(2)
Total Population represents the at-risk populations in counties with PM2.5 monitors.
(3) Those
18 & Under and 65 & Over are vulnerable to PM2.5 and are therefore included. They should not be used as population denominators for disease estimates.
(4)
Pediatric Asthma estimates are for those under 18 years of age and represent the estimated number of people who had asthma in 2003 based on national rates (NHIS) applied to county population estimates (US Census).
(5)
Adult Asthma estimates are for those 18 years and older and represent the estimated number of people who had asthma during 2003 based on state rates (BRFSS) applied to county population estimates (US Census).
(6)
Chronic Bronchitis estimates are for adults 18 and over who had been diagnosed within 2003 based on national rates (NHIS) applied to county population estimates (US Census).
(7)
Emphysema estimates are for adults 18 and over who have been diagnosed within their lifetime based on national rates (NHIS) applied to county population estimates (US Census).
(8)
CV Disease estimates are based on American Heart Association estimates of cardiovascular disease applied to county populations.
(9)
Diabetes estimates are for adults 18 and over who have been diagnosed within their lifetime based on national rates (NHIS) applied to county population estimates (US Census).
(10) Adding across rows does not produce valid estimates, i.e. summing pediatric and adult asthma and/or emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
(11) The weighted average was derived by counting the number of days in each unhealthful range (orange, red, purple) in each year (2001-2003), multiplying the total in each range by the assigned standard weights (i.e., 1 for orange, 1.5 for red, 2.0 for purple), and calculating the average.
(12) Grades are assigned by weighted average as follows: A=0.0, B=0.3-0.9, C=1.0-2.0, D=2.1-3.2, F=3.3+.

Tables continued...



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