Los Angeles might best be known for its slew of rock stars and A-list celebrities; however, another dirty little secret the City of Angels is known for is its high air pollution levels. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2011, the city had the highest levels of ozone nationwide, with rates higher than the recommended federal health standards an average of 137 days each year.
Though L.A. still has a long way to go to curb its raised levels, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's research center at the University of Colorado Boulder have determined strict car emission laws have helped significantly decrease pollution in the city. The recent study used data collected in the area from 1960 to present day.
Scientists found that despite a large jump in the number of vehicles on the road in California between now and then, the tough laws, which include regulating the emissions of cars sold and driven in the state, have helped curb its high air pollution rates.
Ilana Pollack, lead author of the study, reports that the data "confirms that California's policies to control emissions have worked as intended." Now, researchers are looking to determine exactly how the change was made to implement the same ideas in other cities around the nation.
Even though emission rates have been lowered in Los Angeles, air pollution is still a major problem there and in many cities around the nation. Families living in high-traffic areas might want to invest in professional-grade air purifiers like the IQAir GC MultiGas to keep pollution out.