SALT LAKE CITY -- While Utah improved its air quality in relation to the amount of ozone in the air, residents continue to breathe dangerous levels of air pollution.
The American Lung Association's 12th annual report on air quality, State of the Air 2011, was released Wednesday.
Utah's improvement comes from the continued cleanup of deadly pollution as required by the Clean Air Act, according to the report.
However, the report also reveals that 154 million people -- just more than half of the nation -- live in areas where levels of ozone and particle pollution are too often dangerous to breathe.
"Dangerous levels of smog and particle pollution continue to threaten our community," said Don Hooper, interim executive director for the American Lung Association in Utah.
"When we look at results across the country, we see that the Clean Air Act works and we need to keep it strong."
According to the report, ozone levels in Utah have improved, but particle pollution levels have not.
The Salt Lake-Ogden metropolitan area continues to be ranked among the cities with the highest short-term particle pollution, moving from seventh place last year to fifth this year.
Geography of this area is responsible for many of the inversion days, but individuals can still make a big impact on air quality, Hooper said.
"Check the Air Quality Index and change your actions accordingly," he said. "Reduce emissions and reduce pollution."
The Clean Air Act saved more than 160,000 lives in 2010, according to an Environmental Protection Agency analysis.
Nearly 60 million Americans live in counties with too many unhealthy spikes in particle pollution levels, and 18 million people live with unhealthy levels of particle pollution year-round, Dr. Norman H. Edelman, American Lung Association chief medical officer, said during an Internet news conference Wednesday.
"Particle pollution kills," he said. "When you breathe these microscopic particles, you are inhaling a noxious mix of chemicals, metals, acid aerosols, ash and soot that is emitted from smokestacks, tailpipes and other sources.
"It is as toxic as it sounds and can lead to early death, asthma exacerbations, heart attacks, strokes and emergency room visits in substantial numbers."
Air pollution can cause coughing, nasal congestion, chest pain, wheezing, sinus headaches, pneumonia, emphysema, bronchitis and worsening asthma, said Dr. Douglas Jones, an allergist at Rocky Mountain Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Layton.
Cardiovascular problems can also develop or worsen, he said, and in some cases, people may develop lung cancer.
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