New Report: Wheeling Metro Area Earns B Grades for Ozone Smog and Daily Particle Pollution; Posts its Best-Ever Level for Year-Round Particle Pollution and Earns Passing Grade

The Wheeling, WV-OH metro area posts its best-ever level for year-round particle pollution, earning a passing grade and ranking 96th worst in the nation; remains unchanged at its best-ever level for ozone smog with a B grade, according to the American Lung Association’s 2024 “State of the Air” report, released today. The metro area again posted a B grade for daily particle pollution—as it did in last year’s report—though it had been on the cleanest cities list in the four reports issued in 2019 through 2022.

The Lung Association’s 25th annual “State of the Air” report grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone air pollution, annual particle pollution and short-term spikes in particle pollution over a three-year period. This year’s report includes air quality data from 2020-2022 and is updated to reflect the new annual particle pollution standard that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized in February.

“In the 25 years that the American Lung Association has been doing our ‘State of the Air’ report, we have seen incredible improvement in the nation’s air quality. Unfortunately, more than 131 million people still live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the Wheeling metro area still has work to do,” said Aimee VanCleave Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association. “Climate change is making air pollution more likely to form and more difficult to clean up. There are actions we can and must take to improve air quality, including calling on EPA to set long-overdue stronger national limits on ozone pollution.”

Ground-level Ozone Pollution in the Wheeling metro area:

The “State of the Air” report looked at levels of ozone “smog,” the air pollutant affecting the largest number of people in the United States. The Wheeling metro area ranked 116th worst in the nation for ozone pollution. The ranking was based on the area’s worst county’s average number of unhealthy days—0.3 days per year, a B grade, in Ohio County, West Virginia. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 111th worst, also with 0.3 days per year, a B grade. 

Particle Pollution in the Wheeling metro area:

The report also tracked short-term spikes in particle pollution, which can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. The Wheeling metro area ranked 124th worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution. The ranking was based on the area’s worst county’s average number of unhealthy days—0.3 days per year, a B grade, in Marshall County, WV. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 118th worst, also with 0.3 days per year, a B grade. 

For the year-round average level of particle pollution, the area’s worst county, Marshall County, WV received a passing grade for pollution levels below the federal standard that was recently updated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Wheeling, metro area ranked 96th worst in the nation. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 51st worst in the nation.

In addition to the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area, other notable findings across the Mid-Atlantic (defined for this report as DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV):

• The Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton metro area was the worst in the Mid-Atlantic for both measures of particle pollution, earning failing grades for both measures and named among the worst 25 cities in U.S. for year-round particle pollution; and third worst in Mid-Atlantic for ozone smog with a D grade.
• For second year in a row, the Charleston-Huntington-Ashland, WV-OH-KY metro area ranked among the nation’s cleanest cities for ozone pollution. Daily measure of particle pollution remains unchanged though not best-ever; year-round level increases again.
• The Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-VA-WV-PA metro area sets new best-ever record for ozone smog, but failing grade continues, area ranks second worst in Mid-Atlantic region, after Philadelphia. Year-round particle pollution also improves to new best-ever level; daily particle measure improves slightly but metro area ranks fourth worst in Mid-Atlantic

The “State of the Air” report found that nationally, more than 131 million people live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution, and 43.9 million people live in areas with failing grades for all three measures. In the three years covered by this report, individuals in the U.S. experienced the highest number of days when particle pollution reached “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” levels in the history of reporting the “State of the Air.” Communities of color are disproportionately exposed to unhealthy air and are also more likely to be living with one or more chronic conditions that make them more vulnerable to air pollution, including asthma, diabetes and heart disease. The report found that a person of color in the U.S. is more than twice as likely as a white individual to live in a community with a failing grade on all three pollution measures.

Both ozone and particle pollution can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive functioning later in life. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer.

EPA recently finalized new air pollution rules that will help clean up particle pollution and address climate change. Now, the Lung Association is urging EPA to set long overdue stronger national limits on ozone pollution. Stronger limits would help people protect themselves and drive cleanup of polluting sources across the country. See the full report results and sign the petition at Lung.org/SOTA.