Curious About Air Quality? Check American Lung Association's 'State Of The Air' App

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Curious about the quality of air you're breathing? The American Lung Association in Los Angeles is offering a free smartphone app that provides detailed information about air quality wherever you happen to be.

"More than 90 percent of people in California live in areas where air pollution continues to threaten their health," said Jane Warner, president and CEO of the American Lung Association in California. "The State of the Air app is especially valuable during the summertime, when ozone pollution peaks in many cities with long hot sunny days."

Available for both Apple and Android, the application is designed to be helpful for people who live with lung diseases, including asthma, heart diseases and diabetes, according to the association.

According to the association's State of the Air 2012 report, more than 127.2 million people live in U.S. counties with dangerous levels of ozone or particle pollution.

The State of the Air app allows users to enter a ZIP code and or use the "geo-locator" function to get up-to-date air quality conditions. The app also tracks ozone and particle pollution levels, and alerts users if local air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Users can also sign up to receive information from the association and send emails to members of Congress through the app's "speak up" function.

According to the Lung Association, the app bases its air quality information on data made available to the public by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

To download the "State of the Air" app, click here.

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