The Dirty City Index, a full list that looks at both air and water quality to find the dirtiest places, shows the environmental problems that cities have to deal with. This article goes into detail about the top 5 dirtiest cities in California, looking at what causes their high amounts of pollution and how that affects the health of the people who live there.
Fresno, California
The metro area around Fresno and Madera is the poorest city in the United States. The area is plagued by a dangerous mix of dirty air and polluted groundwater from farming. Surprisingly, about 500,000 people live in areas with the fifth or sixth worst particle pollution in the country all year.
Bakersfield-Delano
As we move south into the Central Valley, we reach Bakersfield, which is one of the dirtiest towns. It is known for its oil fields and industry, and the pollution problem is made worse by the fumes from processing oil and gas. Particle pollution makes the air in the Central Valley the most polluted in the U.S., and it affects about 800,000 people.
San Bernardino
Lawn Starter’s list puts San Bernardino in the top 10 dirtiest places in the United States, right up there with bigger cities like Detroit and Houston. The city has a lot of problems with the environment.
Modesto, California
Modesto is in the Central Valley of California. It has to deal with both smog and high unemployment. The city has 500,000 people living in it, and the jobless rate is 15.5%. It is ranked fifth for short-term particle pollution and eleventh for ozone levels.
Visalia, California: Particulate Matter and Ozone Levels
Particulate matter and ozone amounts in the air in Visalia are the last ones on the list, and they are both very bad. This pollution is very bad for your lungs and could cause problems or even damage to the lungs of people who live in the city.