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 3b: People at Risk In 25 Most Ozone-Polluted Counties

  At-Risk Groups High Ozone Days in Unhealthy Ranges 2001-2003
2005 Rank1 County ST Total Population2 Under 183 65 and Over3 Pediatric Asthma4,8 Adult Asthma5,8  Chronic Bronchitis6,8  Emphysema7,8  Weight-ed Avg9 Grade10
1 San Bernardino CA 1,859,678 572,365 154,222 48,708 108,246 49,429 15,615 118.2 F
2 Kern CA 713,087 216,213 65,323 18,400 41,841 19,203 6,268 108.7 F
3 Fresno CA 850,325 259,249 82,665 22,062 49,895 22,966 7,676 105.8 F
4 Riverside CA 1,782,650 508,894 211,764 43,307 107,143 50,216 17,942 97.2 F
5 Tulare CA 390,791 126,408 36,887 10,757 22,353 10,274 3,433 90.0 F
6 Los Angeles CA 9,871,506 2,695,948 974,944 229,425 600,872 279,077 92,796 71.5 F
7 Merced CA 231,574 75,202 20,841 6,400 13,191 6,022 1,959 48.0 F
8 Harris TX 3,596,086 1,049,367 268,963 89,301 173,795 97,493 29,821 39.8 F
9 El Dorado CA 168,822 39,994 20,146 3,403 10,966 5,307 1,990 37.8 F
10 Sacramento CA 1,330,711 357,836 143,835 30,452 81,731 38,366 13,314 29.2 F
11 Tarrant TX 1,559,148 443,112 129,235 37,709 76,178 42,996 13,566 28.8 F
12 Nevada CA 96,099 19,892 16,252 1,693 6,534 3,282 1,402 25.0 F
13 Ventura CA 791,130 215,213 82,960 18,315 48,581 22,904 8,006 24.3 F
13 Fairfield CT 899,152 227,375 117,301 19,350 55,845 27,531 10,525 24.3 F
15 Camden NJ 513,909 135,238 63,189 11,509 27,019 15,326 5,695 24.0 F
16 Ocean NJ 546,081 125,072 116,484 10,644 29,402 18,074 8,290 23.0 F
17 Harford MD 232,175 61,542 24,564 5,237 13,626 6,845 2,424 22.2 F
18 Rowan NC 133,931 33,054 18,709 2,813 7,103 4,110 1,583 21.8 F
19 Anne Arundel MD 506,620 125,645 51,708 10,692 30,492 15,180 5,250 21.3 F
20 Mariposa CA 17,803 3,471 3,056 295 1,229 611 258 20.7 F
20 Placer CA 292,235 69,061 39,415 5,877 18,853 9,096 3,461 20.7 F
22 Kings CA 138,564 38,461 10,142 3,273 8,350 3,709 1,052 20.3 F
23 Geauga OH 93,941 24,466 12,082 2,082 5,016 2,906 1,140 20.2 F
24 Chester PA 457,393 113,346 54,488 9,646 28,680 13,963 5,143 19.3 F
25 Sevier TN 75,503 16,673 10,103 1,419 4,669 2,412 919 19.2 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) Adding across rows does not produce valid estimates, i.e. summing pediatric and adult asthma and/or emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
(9) 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.
(10) 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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