According to the American Lung Association the air we breathe in Centre County gets a “C” or a passing grade. That’s the bottom line from the association’s annual “State of the Air” report.
The rating is based on a review of soot and smog in the air. Soot is the result of particle pollution, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels. Smog is the result of ozone pollution.
Here’s how our local rating was scored. Centre County was awarded a “C” grade for ozone and a “C” grade for particle pollution over a 24-hour period. The county received a “Passing” grade for particle pollution on an annual basis.
Some cities saw an increase in air pollution over the past year. But for the most part, air quality nationwide is improving, continuing a long-term trend to much healthier air.
The American Lung Association says 131.8 million people in the United State live in counties that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution. That’s 42 percent of the population.
Eight percent of Americans live in counties that have unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution.
In Centre County last year, we had six “Orange” ozone days. Orange means the air is unhealthy for people who are sensitive to ozone pollution. That’s a significant improvement from 2001 when there were 20 Orange days in Centre County.
The report says many areas made strong progress in lowering particle pollution. That’s attributed to cleaner diesel fuels and coal-fired plants, particularly in the eastern United States.
Unhealthy air is especially troubling for people with greater risk factors, including infants, children, older adults, anyone with lung diseases like asthma, people with heart disease or diabetes, people with low incomes and anyone who works or exercises outdoors.
The American Lung Association says emissions from cars and light trucks are a major source of dangerous air pollution and that emission standards need to be toughened.
The association says the government needs to impose more stringent regulations to clean up coal-fired plants. It calls those plants the single biggest producer of greenhouse gasses.
