A graphic showing the sources of air pollution tracked by the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report. The report indicated Johnson County, as part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, suffered from poor air quality in the three main areas measured.
Submitted image | American Lung Association
A new report on the air around Johnson County may be hard for many local residents to breathe in.
Days marred with ozone smog increased. Particle pollution — a mixture of solid particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, and liquid droplets found in the air — went up, and have earned the area including the county a failing grade.
Poor air quality can have lasting impacts on local residents and their quality of life.
”As it relates to health, air quality like this is going to exasperate any respiratory illnesses — so wheezing and coughing, shortness of breath, more asthma attacks, worse for anyone who has (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), as well as increased lung cancer,” said Tiffany Nichols, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Indiana.
The American Lung Association released its “State of the Air” report for 2024, gauging the amount of pollutants and dangerous particulates found in air throughout the United States. This year’s report was compiled by looking at three years of data for ground-level ozone pollution, short-term particle pollution and year-round average level of particle pollution.
Johnson County, which was included in data for the Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie metropolitan area, saw middling to poor results in all three areas.
Results determined that more than 131 million people in the U.S. live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution nationally. In addition, 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.”
“We have seen impressive progress in cleaning up air pollution over the last 25 years, thanks in large part to the Clean Air Act. However, when we started this report, our team never imagined that 25 years in the future, more than 130 million people would still be breathing unhealthy air,” said Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association. “Climate change is causing more dangerous air pollution. Every day that there are unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution means that someone — a child, grandparent, uncle or mother — struggles to breathe. We must do more to ensure everyone has clean air.”
In the year 2000, the American Lung Association launched its annual “State of the Air” report to provide the public with easy-to-understand information about the quality of the air in their communities.
The Clean Air Act requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set health-based limits for six dangerous outdoor air pollutants: particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and lead, according to the American Lung Association.
“State of the Air” looks at two of the most widespread and dangerous pollutants from this group — fine particulate matter and ozone. Data compiled by the EPA between 2020 and 2022 made up the basis for the report.
“We put this together every year because it’s one of our imperatives. We’re all about lung health and anything to do with healthy lungs — which of course includes the air. This report puts it in everyday language while giving the public local information,” Nichols said.
In Johnson County, the results revealed a range of pollution impacting local residents. The Indianapolis metro area experienced 2 days per year of ground-level ozone pollution — up compared to the 1.3 ozone days reported in the 2023 report.
Still, the results earned the county “C” grade for ozone, the highlight of the report’s look at local air.
Particle pollution remained extremely poor for Johnson County and the Indianapolis area. The report found local residents experienced 6.5 days per year of short-term spikes in particle pollution, earning an “F” grade.
Year-round average level of particle pollution was even worse. The Indianapolis metro area was ranked the 11th worst in the nation — and is the worst area not located in the American West, where forest fire smoke has been much more common.
The effects of that pollution can have far-reaching effects on local residents, Nichols said.
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.
“There’s an increased risk of premature death, or dying a bit earlier than you would otherwise,” Nichols said.
Despite the bleak report, officials say there are steps residents can take to help improve the quality of the air. According to the American Lung Association, prioritizing walking, biking and clean public transit over diesel or gasoline-powered vehicles can make a difference.
When heating and cooling, adjusting the thermostat just one degree can save money and reduce energy use. People also should avoid burning leaves, trash and wood whenever possible, according to association recommendations.
AT A GLANCE
State of the Air
What: An annual report measuring the amount of pollutants and dangerous particulates found in air throughout the United States.
Who: American Lung Association
Johnson County results (as part of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie metropolitan area)
Ground-level ozone pollution: Ranked 60th worst in the nation for ozone smog. Grade: C
Short-term particle pollution: Ranked 32nd worst in the nation. Grade: F
Year-round average of particle pollution: Ranked 11th worst in the nation. Grade: F
For full results, go to Lung.org/SOTA
