Phoenix Ozone Pollution 7th Worst In U.S.

PHOENIX — Despite advances in cleaner engines and regulations on fuel, Maricopa County's air quality is getting worse and experts are pointing to climate change.

A new report out Wednesday from the American Lung Association ranks Arizona's largest county as having the nation's seventh worst air when it comes to ozone pollution. That's up from the eighth position from the last report.

“Phoenix residents should be aware that we’re breathing unhealthy air, placing our health and lives at risk,” said American Lung Association director of advocacy, JoAnna Strother. “More than 4 in 10 Americans are living with unhealthy air, and we’re heading in the wrong direction when it comes to protecting public health.”

From 2015 to 2017, Maricopa County's ozone levels hit "unhealthy" levels for a total of 97 days. From 2017 to 2018, Phoenix moved from 20th to 13th nationwide for 24-hour particle pollution and from 50th to 32nd for year-round particle pollution.

How Maricopa County compares:

• Ranked 7 for high ozone days out of 228 metropolitan areas
• Ranked 13 for 24-hour particle pollution out of 186 metropolitan areas
• Ranked 32 for annual particle pollution out of 201 metropolitan areas

The 2019 "State of the Air" report covers the most recent data available collected by states, cities, counties, tribes and federal agencies from 2015 to 2017. Notably, those three years were the hottest recorded in global history.