Report: Lancaster Metro Area Receives F Grades for Particle Pollution, Ranks 2nd Worst in Mid-Atlantic for Daily and 4th Worst for Annual Particle Pollution; Ozone Smog Improves for 5th Straight Year

Despite improving for all three pollutant measures in the 2024 “State of the Air” report, the Lancaster, PA metro area received F grades for particle pollution, and for the daily measure was named 30th worst in the nation and second worst in the Mid-Atlantic (defined for this report as DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV). The one-county metro area ranked 57th worst in the U.S. and fourth-worst in the Mid-Atlantic for year-round particle pollution. Improving for the fifth straight year for ozone smog, it received a B grade for the measure, according to the American Lung Association’s 2024 “State of the Air” report, released today.

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 Lancaster metro area still has work to do,” said Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association. “Climate change is making air pollution more likely to form and more difficult to clean up, so there are actions we can and must take to improve air quality in Pennsylvania, including adopting zero-emission standards for passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. We are also calling on EPA to set long-overdue stronger national limits on ozone pollution.”

Ground-level Ozone Pollution in the Lancaster, PA 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 Lancaster, PA metro area ranked 116th worst in the nation for ozone pollution. The ranking was based on Lancaster County’s average number of unhealthy days—0.3 days per year, a B grade. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 91st worst, with 0.7 days per year, also a B grade.  In the “State of the Air” report in 2019, the county’s levels of ozone smog had earned an F grade, but this measure has been improving steadily ever since.

Particle Pollution in the Lancaster, PA metro area:

The report also tracked short-term spikes in particle pollution, which can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. The Lancaster, PA metro area ranked 30th worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution. The ranking was based on Lancaster County’s average number of unhealthy days—6.7 days per year, an F grade. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 24th worst, with 7.3 days per year, also an F grade. 

For the year-round average level of particle pollution, Lancaster County received a failing grade for pollution levels above the federal standard that was recently updated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Lancaster, PA metro area ranked 57th worst in the nation. This was better than the area's ranking in last year's report of 42nd worst in the nation.

In addition to the Lancaster, PA metro area metro area, other notable findings across Pennsylvania include:

• The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area improved for all three pollutant measures in this year’s report, including setting new record best-ever values for ozone smog and year-round particle pollution. Despite improvement in ozone, it still earns a failing grade and is now worst-ranked in the Mid-Atlantic region for ozone smog.
• The Harrisburg-York-Lebanon metro areas ties its best ever record in last year’s report for ozone smog, but still earns a D grade and ranks third worst in Mid-Atlantic for the daily measure of particle pollution. Year-round particle pollution worsens for third straight year, earning a failing grade and placing the area at second-worst in Mid-Atlantic, right behind the Pittsburgh metro area.
• 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.

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.