Worse Air Pollution: Temecula/Murrieta or Phoenix, AZ? (Riverside, Corona: 2013, living)

[CuriousAboutCA]

Both of these areas have horrible air pollution compared to most of the nation, but between the two, whose air pollution is worse?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[MrTudo]

Horrible? Compared to the rest of the USA? Wow that sounds, ......horrible, somehow I find it hard to believe

[Count David]

Inland Southern CA and CA's Central Valley are routinely up there when it comes to offending air pollution. I don't know about PHX, but the smog in the IE tends to block out the hills more often than one would like. It has improved over the years, however.

I'd *imagine* Murriecula has better air quality than say Corona (the smog layers everything west of the 15/south of the 91 many a summer day; you can plainly see a brown cloud over it when coming in from Riverside), but one would have to provide statistics to be sure.

[Fontucky]

The dominant air pollution in the IE has changed from the infamous soupy brown photochemical smog of yesteryear to a much less visually-impactive microparticulate type that is a byproduct of diesel. Those seemingly endless hot Summer days where no mountains could be seen are the exception rather than the rule, but the negative health impact of the particulate matter is nothing to, errr, sneeze at.

[movin out of reno]

Temecula/ Murrieta air quality is much worse. Phoenix has some of the cleanest big city air in the country.

[GatsbyGatz]

I literally become sick with a terrible cough every time I'm in the I.E. during summer. It's a toxic gas bath whenever it gets too hot.

Doesn't Phoenix have some of the cleanest air in the nation?

[SoCal25]

Neither city is healthy in terms of air quality. You can compare metro areas here: American Lung Association State of the Air 2013 - Compare Your Air.

Phoenix might be slightly better, but still gets a Fail. Likewise, Temecula might be better than Riverside, but not that much better to make a difference.

[JohnSoCal]

The air quality in Temecula/Murrieta is much better than the rest of the IE. That is because it is cut off from the LA Basin. I have never had a problem with air pollution in Murrieta for the 11 years I have been living here. If there was a problem, we would be out of here as we can live wherever we want.

Phoenix is better than the IE in general but not better than Temecula/Murrieta.

You cannot go by any of the comparison web sites because they treat all of the IE as being the same,

[kttam186290]

Google "Phoenix smog" and click on images.

Enough said.

[LagunaMom]

Phoenix does NOT have some of the cleanest big city air in the country. I've lived there since '73. However, the IE air--especially around Riverside--is out and out terrible. Can't say how the T/M air is, even though I've been there in the winter...which is when Phoenix has the worst air quality from the inversion layer. It's in a valley, and the cold air traps the pollutants close to the ground.
Phoenix's saving grace is that it's so spread out that you can be in the Phoenix metro area (which can extend into a neighboring county) and have somewhat cleaner air.