The American Lung Association (ALA) has released its annual report. air condition Wednesday’s report shows the Valley has the worst ozone and particulate pollution in the U.S.

• Each report covers a three-year period, with the most recent analysis from 2019 to 2021.

• Results for Maricopa County were mixed, with some indicators improving and others worsening, but the state as a whole saw fewer high-pollution days during that period.

Big picture: Nearly 64 million Americans live in neighborhoods that “do poorly because deadly particulate pollution is surging daily.” ALA reported.

Important reasons: Ozone and particulate pollution cause respiratory problems and other health-related problems.

Zoom in: ALA Ranked Phoenix Mesa Area U.S. subways have the fifth worst ozone pollution, the seventh worst annual particulate pollution, and the thirteenth worst short-term particulate pollution.

• Silicon Valley’s ozone pollution ranking remained unchanged, but its annual particulate pollution dropped one rank and its daily ALA particulate pollution improved two ranks. 2022 report.

detail: The numbers are worse in the Phoenix Mesa area than in Maricopa County overall, with annual particulate pollution exceeding national ambient air quality standards from 2016 to 2018, a slight increase since the last report.

• The Valley also had a weighted average of 41.2 high ozone days per year in 2019-2021, up from 39.3 in 2018-2020.
• The weighted average number of particle-rich days decreased, but not enough to get us out of the failure zone.

Zoom out: Maricopa County It has an F grade for ozone and short-term particulate pollution and a pass grade for annual particulate pollution.

• For annual particulate matter concentrations, Maricopa County received a passing score and has been below national standards since reporting from 2007-2009.

Yes, but: Statewide, 2019-2021 will have fewer ozone-rich days and fewer particulate-rich days than 2018-2020, according to the ALA report.

To the point: Matthew Fraser, professor at ASU’s School of Sustainable Engineering and Built Environment, said the report showed mixed results for the Valley.

• “I don’t think anyone can say that we have been as successful as people hoped to be in mitigating and controlling ozone pollution and particulate matter pollution,” he told Axios Phoenix.

Opposite side: Although the Phoenix area’s numbers weren’t great, and other counties had mixed ratings, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) said the state was on the right track when it came to air pollution.

• ADEQ is press statement In Arizona, last year’s report had fewer unhealthy days than this year.
• of agency statistics Phoenix has more ozone-rich days from 2018-2020 than from 2019-2021.
• ADEQ air quality meteorologist Matt Pace said the agency uses federal standards that differ from those of the ALA.

What they say: “Things are getting better. There is definitely more work to do,” Pace says.

note: Pinal County was one of 11 counties in the nation that performed poorly in all three categories.

• The rest are in California, with a spate of wildfires in between.

What we see: Last year, the EPA lowered the Phoenix area’s ozone pollution rating from “marginal” to “moderate.” Failure to meet federal standards by next summer could have serious consequences.

• Companies starting or expanding operations here have to invest in expensive environmental offsets.