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Industry doesn't help the siutation
The Detroit area, including Ann Arbor, ranks 6th worst in the nation for year-round particle pollution, according to a list compiled by the American Lung Association. Particle pollution refers to a mixture of tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the air.
The list is based on a weighted average of the number of unhealthy air days, using information from the Environmental Protection Agency. Bakersfield, Calif. is #1 for particle pollution. The Los Angeles area is #5.
The association shows Metro Detroit:
Ranked 45 worst for high ozone days out of 228 metropolitan areas.
Ranked 22 worst for 24-hour particle pollution out of 225 metropolitan areas.
Ranked 6 worst for annual particle pollution out of 208 metropolitan areas.
The American Lung Association reports:
The “State of the Air” 2025 report finds that even after decades of successful efforts to reduce sources of air pollution, 46% of Americans—156.1 million people—are living in places that get failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. This is nearly 25 million more people breathing unhealthy air compared to last year’s report, and more than in any other “State of the Air” report in the last ten years.
Extreme heat, drought and wildfires are contributing to worsening levels of air pollution across much of the U.S., exposing a growing proportion of the population to ozone and particle pollution that put their health at risk.
