Bay Area among most polluted regions in the country

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Bay Area made the American Lung Association's list of Top 10 most polluted metropolitan areas for particle pollution.

It ranked sixth in the nation for number of unhealthy days for particle pollution and fourth in the nation for year-round particle pollution levels.

San Joaquin County suffered its worst period ever for particle pollution, according to the report. Recent drought conditions and wildfires contributed to this. The county is the most polluted int he region when it comes to year-round particle pollution levels.

"Our state's air quality continues to hit unhealthy levels each year, putting Californians at risk for premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer," said Olivia Diaz-Lapham, President and CEO of the American Lung Association in California. "We are seeing continued improvement in parts of the state, but there are too many areas where residents are breathing dirty air and we must work to reduce all sources of air pollution."

Click here to view the full State of the Air 2017 report.