New Report: More than 2 million Illinois Children Are Breathing Some of the Nation’s Dirtiest Air

Today, the American Lung Association released its 27th annual “State of the Air” report, which finds that nearly half of the children in the U.S. are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution, including 2,206,982 kids in Illinois. The report also finds the air quality in the Greater Chicago area remains one of the worst in the country with residents being exposed to more unhealthy ozone pollution. The metro area was named 15th most polluted in the nation for ozone pollution and received an F grade. 

The Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report analyzes air quality data from 2022-2024 to grade counties on unhealthy levels of ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot) and ranks counties and metro areas among the cleanest and most polluted. Both pollutants are linked to premature death and serious health impacts, including asthma attacks, heart disease, stroke, preterm birth, cognitive impairment, and lung cancer.

For the Greater Chicago area, the report finds: 

• Ground-level Ozone Pollution in the Chicago-Naperville metro area:
  • National Ranking: 15th out of 226 (15th worst in 2025 report)
  • Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 18 days per year (20.3 days per year in 2025 report)
  • Grade: F, Cook County, worst in metro area (F in 2025 report)
• Short-term Particle Pollution in the Chicago-Naperville metro area:
  • National Ranking: 50th worst out of 224 (53rd worst in 2025 report)
  • Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 3.7 days per year (3.7 days per year in 2025 report)
  • Grade: F, Lake County, IN, worst in metro area (F in 2025 report)
• Year-Round Average Level of Particle Pollution in the Chicago-Naperville metro area:
  • National Ranking: 13th worst out of 211 (13th worst in 2025 report)
  • Grade: Failing grade, pollution levels above the federal standard, Cook County, worst in region

Nationally, the report found that 33.5 million children in the U.S., or 46% of people under 18 years old, live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. In total, 44% of people of all ages in the U.S. (152 million people in total) live in a county that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. 32.9 million people live in counties with failing grades for all three measures.

Infants, children and teens as a group are more susceptible to the health impacts of air pollution. Their lungs are still developing; they breathe more air for their body size than adults and they are frequently exposed to outdoor air. Air pollution exposure in childhood can cause long-term harm, including reduced lung growth, new asthma cases and increased risk of respiratory diseases.

“Clean air is essential to the health and wellbeing of families across Illinois. Children deserve to breathe air that won’t make them sick,” said Kristina Hamilton, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. “Unfortunately, too many people in the Greater Chicago area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution. This air pollution is causing kids to have asthma attacks, contributing to chronic health conditions, and making people who work outdoors sick.” 

Hamilton added: “To compound the issue further, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rollbacks of critical healthy air rules are impacting our residents, like those living near warehouses, industrial corridors and major highways. We urge Illinois policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, including passing the Hazel M. Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance in Chicago, supporting state-level legislation to curb warehouse pollution and to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure. We are also calling on everyone to tell EPA that our kids’ health counts.”

Other notable findings across Illinois include: 

• Rockford-Freeport-Rochelle metro area ranked 43rd worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning an F grade. The area ranked 60th worst nationally for short-term particle pollution and received a D grade. For year-round particle pollution the metro area ranked 88th worst in the nation and received a passing grade.
• Peoria-Canton metro area ranked 37th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning an F grade. The area ranked among the nation’s cleanest cities for short-term particle pollution and received an A grade. For year-round pollution the metro area is unranked due to incomplete data.
• Springfield-Jacksonville-Lincoln metro area ranked 38th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning an F grade. The area ranked 101st for short-term particle pollution and received a C grade. For year-round particle pollution the metro-area ranked 88th worst in the nation and received a passing grade.
• Champaign-Urbana-Danville metro area ranked 70th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, earning an F grade. The area ranked 110th worst nationally for short-term pollution and received a C grade. For year-round pollution the metro area ranked 126th worst in the nation and received a passing grade.

The Lung Association is calling on everyone to urge EPA to value the health of America’s kids. Historically, EPA has played an essential role in protecting people’s health from air pollution. The current EPA has retreated from its public health foundation by rolling back clean air protections. This EPA has also taken the recent step of eliminating health-related information from its economic analyses, meaning that the costs of pollution to kids, families and communities will not be counted as policies are undone. EPA must not devalue kids’ health.

See the full report results and take action at Lung.org/sota.