State of the Air

State of the Air Report

The American Lung Association's State of the Air annual report card provides citizens with easy-to-understand air pollution summaries of the quality of the air in their communities.

State of the Air examines the most recent quality-assured ozone and particulate data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and assigns a grade to each county.

See 2008 report for Colorado

See full report

Colorado's Air Quality Summary: 2008
The State of the Air 2008 grades show that Denver dropped from a D to an F in the area of short-term particulate pollution, compared to the 2007 report. Particle pollution is the most dangerous of the widespread outdoor air pollutants. It is typically made up of ash, soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals and aerosols. The City and County of Denver received the only failing grade for short-term particulate pollution as no other county in the state of Colorado received lower than a B in this category.

A great variance in air quality measurements was recorded over the entire metro area. Adams Country received an A for the level of ozone pollution in that area, while Jefferson County received a D for ozone pollution. However, this grade does reflect an improvement from the F that Jefferson County received in the American Lung Association State of the Air Report 2007. All of the counties in the Denver Metro area received a passing grade for long-term ozone pollution. In the area of ozone pollution, Denver improved from a C to a B.

Other clean air pages:

	Indoor Air Quality • Radon • Tools For Schools
	Outdoor Air Quality • Denver Clean Cities Coalition • Alternative Fuel Vehicles • State of the Air Report • Resources

Ozone: Good Up High, Bad Nearby

Ground-level ozone is a dangerous pollutant that can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue. Ozone is the main ingredient of urban smog.

However, ozone high up in the stratosphere protects life on Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.