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30 Most Polluted Cities in the U.S.
Ramish Cheema
9 min read

In this piece, we will take a look at the 30 most polluted cities in the U.S. For more cities, head on over to 5 Most Polluted Cities in the U.S.

Pollution is an unfortunate and dangerous byproduct of modern day civilization and progress. The inventions of electricity transportation, and industrial production have exponentially transformed society in just a century, but at the same time, they have also ushered in greenhouse gases, toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide, plastic waste, and groundwater contamination as some of the ways in which the growth is harming the environment.

Additionally, industrialization is not the only source of pollution. Another major way that humans have impacted the environment is agriculture. The growth of food has vastly improved over the past millennium; however, the tools for this growth such as fertilizers and herbicides end up changing soil structure, nutrient cycles, and water systems. All these pose a hazard to human health and lead to serious diseases such as cancer.

At the same time, while stringent regulations curtailing industrial runoff might make it seem that water pollution in America is a thing of the past, the reality is quite different. A report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) shows that waterways in America continue to be significantly impaired when it comes to recreational activities such as swimming and fishing. These waterways are also unsuitable for use as drinking water, and things are further complicated by the fact that a large number of rivers, streams, and others have not been studied at all. In terms of numbers, out of the 1.4 million miles of rivers and streams assessed, 51% are rated as impaired. The situation is similar for lakes and ponds, with 11.1 million acres of the 20 million assessed being impaired as well. State wise, the worst offenders are California, Oregon, Michigan, Indiana, and South Carolina - with all of these having more than 12,000 miles of rivers and streams being unsuitable for human contact.

Building on this, not only are a large portion of waterways polluted, but several cities are also finding it difficult to access drinking water. A report from the nonprofit organization DigDeep shows that 2.2 million people in America do not have running water in their homes. More than ten times this figure, or 44 million have plumbing systems that are not according to safety regulations, and an equal amount rely on well water. These figures also include half a million homeless people who might not have access to water, and people relying on well water are at a higher risk of catching E.Coli and facing increased levels of arsenic, uranium, and other contaminants. This lack of water access has an economic dimension as well since people spend more to get water and also suffer from diseases. DigDeep's CEO George McGraw believes that inequitable water distribution costs the American economy $8.6 billion each year.

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