How the Richmond region ranks for ozone pollution

The Richmond metro area has received a B grade for ozone pollution – with best-ever results for the fourth consecutive year – according to the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report.

The recent report found that the ozone pollution levels in the Richmond area were the 116th highest in the nation. The metro area’s daily measure of particle pollution remains unchanged at a B grade, but worse than a past decade of reports that placed the metro area among the nation’s cleanest for the measure. The State of the Air report evaluates the exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution during a three-year period. The Richmond metro area’s data was collected from 2020-2022.

“In the 25 years that the American Lung Association has been doing our ‘State of the Air’ report, we have seen incredible improvement in the nation’s air quality,” saif Aleks Casper, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. “Unfortunately, more than 131 million people still live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, and the Richmond metro area still has work to do.“

The “State of the Air” report looked at levels of ozone “smog,” the air pollutant affecting the largest number of people in the United States. The Richmond region’s ranking was based upon the area’s worst county’s average number of unhealthy days — 0.3 days per year, a B grade, in both Chesterfield and Henrico counties. This was better than the area’s ranking in last year’s report of 111th worst, also with 0.3 days per year, a B grade.

The report also tracked short-term spikes in particle pollution, which can be dangerous and even deadly. The Richmond region ranked 124th worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution, slightly better than the region’s 118th worst ranking last year.

For the year-round average level of particle pollution, the area’s worst location, the city of Richmond, received a passing grade for pollution levels below the federal standard that was recently updated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Richmond region ranked 136th worst in the nation, better than its 129th ranking last year.

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 also can cause lung cancer.