Seattle area receives failing grades for air pollution
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The Seattle area's air quality is generally better than in many parts of the U.S. — but the region still experiences unhealthy levels of soot and smog pollution, according to the American Lung Association (ALA).
Why it matters: Exposure to smog and fine-particle pollution can harm lung function and contribute to diseases including strokes, heart attacks and diabetes, the group says.
The latest: The ALA's annual "State of the Air" report ranked the Seattle-Tacoma area 8th worst nationally for short-term particle pollution.
- That means the region saw unhealthy spikes in soot and other tiny airborne particles that can lodge deep in the lungs and bloodstream.
- The Seattle-Tacoma metro area also received failing grades for ozone pollution — commonly known as smog — and year-round particle pollution, which measures average levels of soot in the air over time.
Yes, but: Out of more than 200 metros analyzed, the Seattle-Tacoma metro area ranked 64th worst for ozone pollution and 75th worst for year-round particle pollution — far from the nation's most polluted regions.
The big picture: Nationwide, 152 million people live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, according to the report.
- Nearly half of children in the U.S. live in counties with a failing grade for at least one type of air pollution, the report found.
What they're saying: "Children need clean air to grow and play, and communities need clean air to thrive," Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, said in a news release.
- "Leaders at every level must act to improve and protect America's air quality."
Between the lines: The report's pollution grades include wildfire smoke, which has increasingly driven short-term spikes in soot pollution across the West in recent years.
- That differs from the approach used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which can exclude certain wildfire smoke events from air-quality compliance calculations.
- The ALA says the pollution still poses serious health risks regardless of where it comes from.
What we're watching: Washington state has adopted stricter vehicle emissions rules and is investing in cleaner transportation and electrification programs aimed at reducing air pollution over time.
- Meanwhile, local officials have expanded smoke preparedness efforts, including by opening cleaner-air shelters and by distributing indoor air purifiers.