Photo: Lakeville Fire Department
BOSTON (State House News Service) — Increasingly common wildfire smoke has contributed to worsening air quality in Massachusetts, according to a new report that suggests the unhealthy ozone and particle pollution levels are substantially raising health risks for Bay Staters.
The newly-released annual report from the American Lung Association (ALA) found that 156 million people, or 46% of the U.S. population, are living in areas that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. People of color in the U.S. are more likely to live in communities with a failing grade on all pollution measures, per the ALA.
The report said the Boston-Worcester-Providence region (which includes eastern Mass., Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire) remains the second-worst metro area in the Northeast for year-round air particle pollution levels. Nationally, the region ranked 61st-worst for high ozone or "smog" days (out of 228 metro areas), 114th-worst for daily particle pollution (of 225 metro areas), and 110st-worst for annual particle pollution (of 208 metro areas), ALA said.
Across Massachusetts, not a single county was awarded an A grade for ozone or particle pollution. Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcester counties were given B grades, with the state remaining counties earning Cs or Ds. Only Suffolk, Norfolk and Middlesex counties earned B grades for short-term particle pollution, all others earned C or D grades.
Wildfires from 2023 were a leading cause of worsening air quality, according to the report, as smoke from the fires in Canada significantly impacted the air of the northeastern U.S.
The report suggests that increasing ozone smog and particle pollution is causing more asthma attacks in children, increasing health risks for people who work outdoors, and leading to low birth weights in newborns.
"We urge Massachusetts policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, including legislation to reduce air pollution levels and increasing monitoring," American Lung Association Advocacy Director Daniel Fitzgerald said, calling for support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The agency is facing potential cuts to its workforce and federal funding, the result of Trump administration requests and reported grant cancellations.
Written by Ella Adams/SHNS