Air pollutant emissions in the U.S. 1990-2022, by type
Annual emissions of various air pollutants in the United States have experienced dramatic reductions over the past half a century. As of 2022, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) had reduced by more than 70 percent since 1970 to 7.4 million tons. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions have also fallen dramatically in recent decades, dropping from 23 million tons to 1.8 million tons between 1990 and 2022. Air pollutants can pose serious health hazards to humans, with the number of air pollution related deaths in the U.S. averaging 60,000 a year.
