Here are the most polluted cities in the US, globally
FILE-A factory at sunset is seen in a U.S. city. (Photo by Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Pollution is an ongoing environmental issue, and a new report finds that it's a glaring problem for specific areas in the U.S. and globally.
The 2023 IQ World Air Quality Report released startling information about the most polluted cities, countries, territories, and regions worldwide last year.
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Researchers collected data from over 30,000 air quality monitoring stations across 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories, and regions.
These cities were the most polluted in the U.S. in 2023
Based on their findings, Columbus, Ohio and Beloit, Wisconsin, were ranked as the most polluted cities in the U.S. in 2023.
Canada was the most polluted country in Northern America, with the region's 13 most polluted cities located within its borders.
And the report noted that Las Vegas was ranked as the cleanest city last year.
Here are the most polluted countries in the world in 2023
Compared to these U.S. cities, the most polluted countries in the world were Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, and Burkina Faso, which all exceeded the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines, according to the report by IQAir, which tracks air quality worldwide.
According to the report, Begusarai, India was the most polluted metropolitan area of 2023, and India was home to the four most polluted cities in the world.
Another key finding from the report showed that only seven countries met the WHO’s air quality guidelines: Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand.
This story was reported from Washington, D.C.