The American Lung Association’s 2025 air quality index gives failing grades to metro Atlanta for smog and air pollution.
The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report released Wednesday ranks Atlanta third-worst metro area in ozone pollution and fourth-worst in year-round counts for particle pollution in the Southeast. The association’s 28th annual report examines data during a three-year window from 2021-2023, during the transition out of a pandemic that had kept the roads clearer due to more people working from home.
Atlanta’s grade also slips from a C to F for ground-level ozone pollution after recording 5.5 unhealthy days per year compared to 1.8 days in the 2024 report.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
