Publication Date December 1, 2015 | Business Insider

There's an unexpected and worrisome outcome of the California drought

United States
A farmworker plants tomatoes in Los Banos, California. Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
A farmworker plants tomatoes in Los Banos, California. Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

A new State of the Air report from the American Lung Association found that years of drought have deteriorated California's air quality...The report found that the Central Valley had the most airborne particulate pollution, while Los Angeles County was the smoggiest over the observed time period...In dry conditions, soils lose moisture and dust is released into the atmosphere. When there's little precipitation, this dust — particulate pollution — is trapped closer to the ground. These particles end up in people's lungs, contributing to a whole range of respiratory infections and asthma attacks