In 2024, polluted drinking water was the most concerning environmental issue among adults in the United States. Fifty-five percent of respondents worried a great deal about pollution in drinking water quality, while 52 percent had similar worries about pollution in waterways. Meanwhile, 42 percent of American adults worried a great deal about both global warming or climate change and air pollution. The share of Americans who worried about air pollution has fallen since 1990.

Source: Gallup. (2024). Share of American adults who worry a great deal about selected environmental problems in the United States [Graph]. https://www-statista.com

The share of Americans who worry a great deal about air pollution has fallen in recent decades. In 1990, 58 percent of respondents worried a great deal about air pollution in the United States, but by 2024 this share had dropped to 42 percent.

Source: Gallup. (2024). Public concern about air pollution from 1990 to 2024 [Graph]. https://www.statista.com.

More than 2.5 million waste items were collected in the United States during the 2023 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Cigarette butts topped the list of most common waste items found, with more than 385,000 units collected. Food wrappers were the second most collected waste item, followed by plastic bottle caps.

Source: Ocean Conservancy. (2024). Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2023. [Graph]. https://www.statista.com