Twin Cities metro fails air pollution report card
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The Twin Cities metro deserves an "F" grade on key air quality metrics, per a new pollution "report card."
Why it matters: Air pollution threatens everyone's health — especially children, seniors and people with asthma or heart and lung conditions.
The big picture: Nearly half of Americans are now exposed to potentially dangerous levels of air pollution, the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air report found.
State of play: The report, which looked at 200-plus large cities, dinged the Twin Cities as one of the 40 worst metro areas in the nation for 24-hour particle pollution.
- The area ranked 48th for the number of high-ozone days.
Zoom in: Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota counties got an F for particle pollution.
- The report also gave Anoka and Scott counties failing grades for ozone levels.
Context: Ozone is a gas that, at ground level, is a harmful irritant. Particle pollution involves tiny airborne particles from wildfires, fossil fuel burning and more.
Threat level: Extreme heat, wildfires and drought are degrading air quality nationwide, the Lung Association says. All have been linked to climate change.
- Air pollution is associated with an array of health conditions, from wheezing and coughing to asthma and premature death.
Between the lines: This latest report includes data from 2021-23, "the most recent three years of quality-assured nationwide air pollution data publicly available."
- 2023 was a particularly bad year for Minnesota air quality, due to wildfire smoke from Canada.
The silver lining: The Duluth metro area earned kudos from the report, ranking 15th on the report's list of top 25 cleanest cities for particle pollution.
What we're watching: The findings, which predate the current Trump administration, come as the White House is reconsidering EPA rules and regulations meant to curb pollution and promote cleaner air.
What's next: The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency expects to release its annual summer air quality forecast sometime next week.