It is a common impression that
western world has more stringent laws for the pollution control and that is why
it may not be suffering from pollution as the less developed world suffers. If
we talk about highly polluted cities of the world all of sudden several Asian
cities’ names come to our mind. It is right that advance countries have strict
green laws but they also have to make production of goods and services with
machines that burn fossil fuel. Although cleaner fuels are introduced there but
they have yet to fully replace the black fuel. The annual report of American
Lung Association ranked the following ten US cities and towns as the most
polluted. There is no match of these cities with the world-level most polluted
cities but people of these cities are equally suffering from the menace of
pollution.
Bakersfield
Out of its total 852,000
population nearly 168,000 directly or indirectly suffer from cardiovascular
problems. The main reason of high level of air pollution in this town of
California is its location. It is surrounded by mountains in three sides which
linger the contaminated air in its area. Moreover, it is a main hub of oil
production and receives huge amount of diesel soot during manufacturing and
refining process of oil. Interestingly this area reduced the level of
contamination in its air up to 80 per cent owing to massive air pollution
control measures but despite of this huge environmental improvement it still
stands atop in pollution level. It is enough to tell how polluted it had been
earlier. In future it is likely that farming vehicles’ switch over to clean
fuel may further improve its environmental conditions.
Merced
It has a population of 260,000
with 51,000 registered cardiovascular cases owing to air pollution and some
other reasons including dietary imbalances and less physical exertion that
amasses fats in human body. Main source
of air pollution in this US town is vehicular emission because of the traffic
load. Another reason of polluted air in this town is its close location to
other polluted cities including San Francisco and Oakland.
Fresno
With a population 1.1 million it
has alarmingly 225,000 registered cardiovascular cases that is an eye opener
for the environmental managers of its local administration. Last year it
witnessed a huge increase in particle pollutants like soot and sulfur dioxide
present in smoke and haze that may also increase the asthma and heart disease
cases. Here also traffic emissions mainly contribute in higher level of
polluted air.
Los Angeles
Almost 18 per cent of the 18.1
million population of LA suffers from cardiovascular problem. It is famous for
one of the most polluted cities in the world with an alarming level of all
types of pollution. It is also worst hit by vehicular emissions despite massive
switch over to green fuel.
Hanford
It has a total population of
154,000. The count of reported cardiovascular cases in this town is 30,000 that
are quite high and stand 20 per cent of the total population. Its air is
polluted with dust particles, soot and several harmful gases. Main component of
air pollutants is from nitrate particulate due to huge cattle feedlots in the
area.
Modesto
With a population of 519,000 this
city has total 110,000 registered cardiovascular cases. It faces almost all the
pollution problems that other mega cities of US face including vehicular and
industrial emissions as top amongst them. Open wood burning in winter to get
the heat is also another source of air pollution in the area. Because of less
rainfall in the town likelihood of wildfire always persists there that keeps
the skies smoky for a longer period of time.
Visalia
It has registered cardiovascular
cases of 87,000 in its total population of 429,000. Because of scanty rainfall
in the area there is less chance of mitigation of ozone pollution here. Wind
pressure from eastward also raises the pollution level in this city located
against Sierra foothills. Its proximity to national forest makes it suffer from
forest fires and smoke that is a serious pollution problem.
Pittsburgh
This city has highest number of
registered cardiovascular cases. Out of its population of 2.5 million nearly
705,000 suffers from a minor or major cardiovascular problem. This is the hub
of steel production and during the manufacturing process of steel metal
sometimes coal and coke soot pollutants raise to such a high level that street
lights have to be switched on in day time here. Large number of coal-burning
power plants is also a major source of air pollution here.
El Centro
It has a population of 177,000
with 37,000 registered cardiovascular cases. It borders with Mexico another
highly polluted country because of its loose mechanism to control pollution.
That is why El Centro suffers from migrated air pollution from its neighboring
country. The flow of traffic from Mexico has brings vehicles that emit more
poisonous smoke. As a result this American town suffers the bad environmental
governance of its neighbor country.
Cincinnati
Here total 164,000 cardiovascular
cases registered from total population of 2.2 million. Vehicle exhaust is the
main source of air pollution here. An awareness drive slightly worked here to
control vehicular emissions. Under this campaign drivers and owners of vehicles
were motivated to switch off the engine of their vehicle as soon as they stop
it.
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