New Report: Birmingham’s Air Quality Worsens; Is Among Worst in Southeast for Levels of Ozone Smog

According to the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report, released today, air quality in the Birmingham metro area has worsened. Residents are being exposed to more unhealthy ozone smog and particle pollution. In fact, Birmingham is the fourth worst metro area for ozone pollution in the Southeast. Additionally, the report found that nearly half of the U.S. population live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Extreme heat and wildfires contributed to worsening air quality in much of the country.

The Lung Association’s 26th annual “State of the Air” report grades exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution, also known as “smog,” and particle pollution, also known as “soot,” over a three-year period (2021-2023). Findings for the Birmingham metro area include:

• Ground-level Ozone Pollution:
  • Number of Unhealthy Days per Year: 5 days (1.3 days in 2024 report)
  • Grade: F (C in 2024 report)
  • National Ranking: 54th worst out of 228 – fourth worst metro area in Southeast (71st worst in 2024 report)
• Short-Term Spikes in Particle Pollution:
  • Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 0.7 days (0.3 days in 2024 report)
  • Grade: B (B in 2024 report)
  • National Ranking: 156th worst out of 223 (124th worst in 2024 report)
• Year-Round Average Level of Particle Pollution:
  • Grade: Failing grade, pollution levels above the federal standard (passing grade in 2024 report)
  • National Ranking: 39th worst out of 204 (96th worst in 2024 report)

Ozone and particle pollution are widespread and can impact anyone’s health. Both pollutants can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive functioning later in life. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer.

“Unfortunately, too many people in the Birmingham metro area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution. This air pollution is a threat to human health at every stage of life—increasing the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in babies to causing or worsening lung and heart disease to shortening lives,” said Ashley Lyerly, senior director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. “We urge Alabama policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, and we are calling on everyone to support the incredibly important work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Without EPA staff and programs, Alabamans won’t know what’s in the air they’re breathing, and efforts to clean up air pollution will be undone.”

In addition to the Birmingham metro area, other notable findings across Alabama include:

• The Montgomery metro area once again ranked among the nation's cleanest cities for ozone pollution and short-term particle pollution.
• Ozone smog in the Mobile metro area worsened, with the grade dropping from “A” to “B.” It was listed for 15th consecutive year among the nation's cleanest for daily particle pollution.

The “State of the Air” report relies on data from air quality monitors managed by state, local and Tribal air pollution control authorities in counties across the U.S. In Alabama, only 14 out of 67 counties could be graded for at least one measure of air quality. This underscores the need for more monitors and access to air quality data so that people and communities can take measures to safeguard their health. 

On a national level, the “State of the Air” report found that 156 million people in the U.S. (46%) live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. 42.5 million people live in areas with failing grades for all three measures. The report also 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. Notably, Hispanic individuals are nearly three times as likely as white individuals to live in a community with three failing grades.

The Lung Association is calling on everyone to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA is essential to protecting people’s health from ozone and particle pollution. Join the American Lung Association in advocating to protect EPA’s expert staff and lifesaving programs. See the full report results and take action at Lung.org/sota.