Delaware sees mixed results in the American Lung Association’s 2024 “State of the Air” report.
The 25th annual report covering the years 2020-2022 highlights air quality across the nation. In Delaware, each county received a passing grade for Ozone Smog.
That includes New Castle County getting its best grade ever with a “C”, but that still means there are still too many days with poor air quality.
Deb Brown is the Chief Mission Officer for the American Lung Association. She says bad grades can come for different reasons.
"We know that there are a multitude of issues that really can lead to bad grades,” said Brown. “We still have work as a nation to do to continue to clean up pollution from some of the major sources like power plants and transportation. Especially where there's major diesel hotspots."
Brown adds polluted winds blowing in from nearby states can also be a contributing factor.
Sussex again received an “A” for Ozone Smog. All three counties received “A” grades for Daily Particle Pollution.
Brown says the state is making a concerted effort to improve air quality.
"Delaware's done some really good things. We've recently made some progress by adopting healthy air policies such as the Advanced Clean Cars II which will help us facilitate the transition to zero emission vehicles, and we know that that will continue to have important health benefits," said Brown.
The report also found nearly four in ten people in the U.S. live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.
Ozone and particle pollution can cause premature death and other health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, and preterm births. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer.
