Report: Chicago metro area ranks 22nd in nation for worst air quality
The Chicago metro area was named one of the worst in the nation for ozone and particle pollution by the American Lung Association in its 2024 “State of the Air” report, released today.
The ranking comes on the heels of another air quality report by Swiss technology company IQAir that identified Chicago as the second most major polluted city in the United States. Both reports point to climate change and the transportation sector as driving forces behind the region’s poor scores.
“In the 25 years that the American Lung Association has been doing our ‘State of the Air’ report, we have seen incredible improvement in our nation’s air quality,” Kristina Hamilton, the association’s director of advocacy, said in a press release. “Unfortunately, more than 131 million people still live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and Chicago is listed as one of the worst places for ozone and particle pollution, which disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color.”
The annual report analyzes exposure to ground-level ozone air pollution, short-term spikes in particle pollution and annual particle pollution over a three-year period. This year’s report covers 2020 to 2022.
When it comes to ground-level ozone pollution — better known as smog — the “Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI metro area” placed 17th in the country. The ranking was based on the average number of unhealthy days from the region’s lowest-graded county: Cook County saw 15.3 unhealthy days per year, earning an “F” score.
The Chicago region ranked 73rd worst in the nation in short-term particle pollution spikes, with Cook County logging 1.3 unhealthy days per year. For the year-round average level of particle pollution, the area ranked 22nd worst in the nation, up from its ranking of 23rd in last year’s report.
The report gave Cook County a failing grade for logging pollution levels above the federal standard, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency updated in February. DuPage, Kane, and Will Counties also received failing grades.
Both ozone and particle pollution are areas of concern when it comes to public health.
According to the EPA, ground-level ozone can worsen lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis, while particulate matter exposure has been linked to a variety of problem including increased respiratory symptoms, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death in people with heart or lung disease.
With global warming and transportation key areas of concern, the report calls for states to prioritize clean energy production and adopt stricter emissions standards for vehicle manufacturers.
“Climate change is making air pollution more likely to form and more difficult to clean up, so there are actions we can and must take to improve air quality, including investing in zero emission vehicle infrastructure, adopting the Advance Clean Trucks rule, and calling on the U.S. EPA to set long-overdue stronger national limits on ozone pollution,” Hamilton said in the release.
Closer to home, the report recommends local governments adopt climate action plans, purchase zero-emission fleet vehicles and establish purchasing goals for renewable, non-combustion energy.
• Jenny Whidden, jwhidden@dailyherald.com, is a climate change and environment writer working with the Daily Herald through a partnership with Report For America supported by The Nature Conservancy. To help support her work with a tax-deductible donation, see dailyherald.com/rfa.