Pittsburgh region again gets a failing grade for air quality in American Lung Association "State of the Air" report
The American Lung Association has released its latest "State of the Air" report and the Pittsburgh region has received a failing grade for air quality.
The report, which uses air quality data from 2021 through 2023, found that nearly 25 million more people nationwide are breathing unhealthy air when compared to last year's report.
Pittsburgh is in the top 12 and top 16 for the two worst air quality categories (smog and soot related air quality), worse than last year's report.
These populations are most at risk
In the Pittsburgh area, the highest populations at risk are those 65 and older, under 18, people of color and those who live in poverty. The short-term risks alone include infant mortality, hospital admissions, cardiovascular disease, and asthma attacks among children.
The American Lung Association says every family probably has someone who's in one of these groups and often people who are in multiple groups at the same time.
"It's a serious problem when you have multiple bad air days over a period of time even if it's relatively infrequent," said Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health with the American Lung Association. "You don't want to be that person whose child is going into an asthma attack because they breathe bad air pollution on one."
"Air pollution continues to be a serious problem locally," Stewart added. "There's no question about that. People do need to understand that there are certain actions that they could take to help move the powers that be to help improve that air quality."
Allegheny County's air quality has improved, health officials say
The Allegheny County Health Department said it respects the Lung Association's report, but it doesn't tell the story of the county's air quality improvement in the last few years. They've been able to meet Environmental Protection Agency standards for the last three years. Their nine monitors point out where there are more problems.
"We are able to then to be able to separate that from what is actually happening in our communities on a daily basis," Allegheny County Health Department public health director Dr. Iulia Vann said.
Wildfires also played a role in the air quality issues during the Lung Association's reporting period.
"Wildfire pollution is a consequence of a long-term use of fossil fuels," Breathe Project executive director Matthew Mehalek said.
Advocates blame industry but say residents can help
Clean air advocates said there is no question heavy industry is a major contributor of this problem, but there are steps we can each take in our everyday lives to minimize this problem.
Some of those steps include substituting gas equipment for electric equipment for your lawn, along with burning less wood. While we may enjoy our bonfires, more smoke isn't good. You can also use your car less. Try to use public transit or walk if you are able and close enough.
Groups like the Breathe Project say we need to find a balance between keeping industry in the Pittsburgh area and making sure they work well with the environment. The group says 78% of the fine particles from industry come from the three U.S. Steel plants in the Mon Valley. U.S. Steel said in a statement that it's working to be environmentally responsible and has an EPA compliance rate beyond 99%.
Daily air pollution forecasts can be accessed online.
