Report shows two sides of Linn County's air quality

Linn County was given mixed grades in the American Lung Association's State of the Air report.

The county received an A in the number of high ozone days, but an F for particle pollution. Johnson County did not have data collected for ozone days, but received a D in particle pollution.

Trend charts and rankings for metropolitan areas and county grades are available at www.stateoftheair.org.

Here is more from the American Lung Association:

 The American Lung Association's 13State of the Air 2012 report grades cities and counties based on the number of days of high ozone (smog) and particle pollution (soot). The Davenport area fell 22

^th

annual

^nd

on the “US Cities Most Polluted by Short-term Particle Pollution” list receiving an “F” but ranked as one of the nation's cleanest for ozone pollution with an “A”.

“Particle pollution and ozone are two different things,” explains Micki Sandquist, Executive Director of the American Lung Association in Iowa. “Think of ozone as a gas that comes from “cooking” emissions from smokestacks and tailpipes in the right combination of heat and sunlight. Particle pollution is a microscopic mix of solids and aerosols that come from different kinds of emissions from smokestacks and tailpipes.”

Someone in everyone's family is at risk from air pollution. People hurt by air pollution range from newborn babies whose lives are cut short, to grandparents who suffer heart attacks, to healthy, exercising adults whose lung function is reduced.

This year's report details the national trend that standards set under the Clean Air Act to clean up major air pollution sources-including coal-fired power plants, diesel engines, and SUVs-are working to drastically cut ozone and particle pollution from the air we breathe. Despite these improvements, America's air quality standards are outdated, putting the health of millions of Americans at stake.

Individuals can do their part to protect our air by driving less, walking, biking, carpooling or using public transit.  They can use less electricity by turning off the lights when they're not in the room, refraining from burning wood or trash and encouraging their local school systems to use clean school buses. They can also visit www.lungia.org to learn more and see their counties' grades.

About the American Lung Association in Iowa

Our mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is "Fighting for Air" through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit

www.lungia.org.