SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - It's not exactly the kind of report card a parent would want a child to bring home from school.
Grades have just been issued on the quality of air Bay Area residents are breathing. It is the 9th annual State of the Air report by the American Lung Association. Counties are ranked by three times of air pollution - ozone or smog, and two forms of particle pollution known as soot. "For the Bay Area, after years of continued progress, our improvements have stalled," explained the association's Linda Weiner.
"F" graders for short term particle pollution were issued to San Francisco, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties. Alameda County received a "C."
The report card was released at Children's Hospital Oakland. "We can't go as far as to say that the pollution is actually causing asthma, but it's certainly triggering asthma attacks," explained the hospital's Mindy Benson, asthma program manager.
"Being a person who suffers from asthma and having an older sister who has struggled with chronic bronchitis over the years was a major problem growing up," confirmed West Oakland high school senior Dolores Johnson.
Diesel exhaust, industry and wood smoke are blamed as the largest contributors to air pollution, causing serious health problems and hampering efforts to fight global warming.
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KCBS' George Harris reports
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