The American Lung Association report rates Sacramento among the top 10 worst cities in the nation for air pollution.  Officials say 95 percent of this pollution comes from vehicle emissions.

Dr. Alexander Kon is a pediatric intensivist at UC Davis Medical Center. He says the declining air quality is causing children’s asthma rates to go up. 

Kon: “In Sacramento County alone there are 58,000 children who have asthma. Asthma is now the number one cause of hospitalizations of children under the age of 15 years.” 

Kon says a few years ago about 30,000 kids had asthma. Outside of Sacramento County, Placer and Eldorado counties also got “F” grades for poor air quality.