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A new nationwide report has found that nearly half of children in the United States are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution.
This has raised concerns about long-term health risks and the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rollbacks of clean air protections.
According to the American Lung Association, 33.5 million children, or 46% of those under 18, live in areas that received a failing grade for at least one key measure of air quality.
Over 7 million children live in areas failing all major pollution measures.
The findings are based on the organization’s 27th annual “State of the Air” report, which evaluates data collected between 2022 and 2024 on ozone pollution, also known as smog, and particle pollution, often referred to as soot.
Health experts warn that children are particularly vulnerable due to their developing lungs and higher exposure to outdoor air.
“Children’s lungs are still developing. For their body size, they’re breathing more air,” said Will Barrett, a senior policy official at the association.
He added that pollution exposure can lead to “long-term developmental harm to their lungs, new cases of asthma, increased risks of respiratory illness, and other health considerations later in life.”
The report outlines a range of potential impacts, including reduced lung growth, increased asthma rates, and heightened risks of respiratory disease.
It also links pollution exposure to broader outcomes such as premature death, heart attacks, strokes, and even impaired cognitive development.
More broadly, 152 million people in the United States, around 44% of the population, live in areas with unhealthy air quality.
The report attributes worsening air quality to a combination of environmental and policy-related factors.
Rising temperatures, drought, and large-scale wildfires have contributed to higher ozone levels, particularly between 2022 and 2024.
During this period, about 129 million people, or 38% of the population, were exposed to ozone pollution at levels considered harmful to health. This marks the highest figure recorded in six years.
“Clean air is not something we can take for granted,” said Harold Wimmer. “That progress is now at risk due to extreme heat and wildfires, fueled by climate change, and policy changes that are making the problem worse.”
The report also points to growing energy demand from data centers as a contributing factor. These facilities currently consume around 4.4% of US electricity, a share that could rise significantly in the coming decade. Their reliance on fossil fuel-powered grids and diesel backup generators adds to local pollution levels.
At the same time, experts warn that recent regulatory changes have weakened air quality protections. Since returning to office, Donald Trump initiated at least 70 actions to roll back environmental and climate protections, including limits on emissions from power plants and vehicles.
Barrett described the shift as “a wide-scale effort… to eliminate health protections,” warning that delays and reversals in pollution standards could further increase risks, especially for children.
The report also highlights persistent disparities in who is most affected by air pollution.
People of color, who make up just over 42% of the US population, represent more than half of those living in counties with failing air quality grades.
A person of color is more than twice as likely as a white individual to live in an area that fails all three pollution measures.
In some cases, the disparity is even more pronounced. Hispanic communities, for example, are more than three times as likely as white populations to be exposed to the highest levels of pollution.
These patterns reflect broader structural inequalities, as communities already facing health and economic challenges are also more likely to experience environmental risks.
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