A new report from the American Lung Association reveals that nearly 9 million more people were impacted by particle pollution, which can be deadly, than in last year’s report.
The report released on Thursday did not include any Oklahoma cities or counties on any lists of especially clean air in the U.S.
None in Oklahoma also were included in the list of the 25 most polluted cities in the country.
However, the report graded Oklahoma County an “F” for high ozone days during the time period of 2018-2020. Tulsa received an “F” for the same high ozone days.
Canadian, Dewey and Osage Counties received a “D” because of high ozone days during the period in question.
Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties also graded “F” for the highest number of “at-risk” groups of those age 65 and older.
The Lung Association’s 23rd annual “State of the Air” report also shows more days with “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality than ever before in the two-decade history of this report.
The Lung Association’s annual air quality “report card” tracks and grades Americans’ exposure to unhealthy levels of short-term spikes in particle pollution (also known as soot), annual particle pollution and ground-level ozone air pollution (also known as smog) over a three-year period. This year’s report covers 2018-2020.
