Where the air is clear.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

The good news is that 83 percent of Americans live in areas with acceptable year-round levels of particle pollution. According to the American Lung Association's 2008 State of the Air report, exposure to particles over time can increase the risk of hospitalization for asthma, damage the lungs and raise the possibility of premature death.

THE TOP 10 CITIES WITH THE LEAST POLLUTED AIR FROM YEAR-ROUND PARTICLE POLLUTION

1

CHEYENNE, WYO.

2

SANTA FE, N.M.

3

HONOLULU, HAWAII

4

GREAT FALLS, MONT.

5

FARMINGTON, N.M.

6

TUCSON, ARIZ.

7

BISMARCK, N.D.

8

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ.

9

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

10

SALINAS, CALIF.