According to data provided by the Environmental Protection Agency millions of people in about 600 neighborhoods are breathing in concentrated amounts of toxic air pollutants. These pollutants are placing people at a greater risk of contracting cancer. There is a 100 in 1 million cancer risk level produced by 80 carcinogenic substances in these areas produced by automobiles, factories, and other sources. The national average is 36 in 1 million, according to the National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment which was released this past Tuesday by the EPA.
Cities with the highest cancer risk in the nation included:
- Parts of Los Angeles, CA and Madison County, IL (1200 in 1 million and 1100 in 1 million respectively)
- Next on the list includes Allegheny County, PA and Tuscaloosa County, AL
Some of the lowest cancer risk areas in the nation included:
- Coconino County, AZ and Lyon County, NV (areas with lowest cancer risk from air toxins)
- Other areas of note include Kalawao County, Hawaii and Golden Valley County, Montana
America's Most Toxic Cities
1. Baltimore, Maryland2. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
3. Portland, Oregon
4. Los Angeles, California
5. Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota
6. Indianapolis, Indiana
7. San Diego, California
8. Detroit, Michigan
9. Seattle, Washington
10. Cincinnati, Ohio
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/10/1003_toxic_towns/index_01.htm
http://www.edrnet.com/
