Pittsburgh has achieved high rankings on two top-25 lists but it's not a good thing.

The Pittsburgh-New Castle metropolitan area is third on the national list of cities most polluted by year-round particle pollution -- which the average person might know as soot pollution. Pittsburgh-New Castle is No. 4 for cities most polluted by short-term particle pollutants.

The rankings come from the American Lung Association's State of the Air: 2006 report, which was released yesterday.

But we're only No. 17 on the list of cities with the worst pollution from ozone -- commonly called smog.

Los Angeles is No. 1 in two categories -- short-term and year-round particle pollution -- and No. 2 for ozone pollution. Bakersfield, Calif., has the worst ozone pollution and comes in second in the other two categories.

The entire state of Pennsylvania fares poorly in the report.

"Almost everyone in Pennsylvania is breathing dirty air," says the news release that accompanies the report. About 11 million people, 88 percent of the state population, live in a metro area or county that earns at least one failing grade for air quality.

"Pennsylvania continues to be one of the handful of worst states in the country," said Kevin M. Stewart, director of environmental health for the American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic.

Pennsylvania rankings are relatively unchanged from last year's report.

The biggest sources of Pennsylvania particle/soot pollution are "dirty power plants," diesel engines and the burning of wood, leaves and refuse, Stewart said. Ozone/smog pollution is caused by vehicle exhaust, evaporated fuel and solvents.

Though Pittsburgh air is bad, it's not as bad as it used to be.

"We have improved air quality since the mid-1980s" when many steel mills shut down, said Janice Nolen, director of national policy for the American Lung Association. "But while the air is better, there is still room for much improvement," she said.

The effects of polluted air are especially hard on people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease and diabetes, the report says, as well as people who work outdoors and exercise outdoors.

When particle pollution declines in a city, the death rate drops, the report says.

Some Pennsylvania counties did get improved grades for air quality.

Mercer and Westmoreland counties got "C" grades this year for particle pollution. They had "F" grades last year. Washington County has improved "to a passing grade for year-round levels."

To view the entire report, or to receive other information, go to the Web sites at www.lunginfo.org or www.lungusa.org or call the American Lung Association office at 1-717-397-5203.