Bay Area air quality among worst in nation for ozone, particle pollution, report says

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Bay Area air quality remains among the most polluted in the entire country, according to the "State of the Air" report by the American Lung Association.

Out of more than 200 metro areas, the Bay Area is 14th worst for ozone and 6th worst for annual particle pollution.

California is home to some of the most difficult air pollution problems in the United States, and our communities in the Bay Area are suffering the consequences.

"What we have seen in the Bay Area is a lot of good progress over the course of our 26-year report, but there's still a long way to go," ALA Sr. Director of Clean Air Advocacy Will Barrett said. "The metro area ranks in the top 25 most polluted for ozone and particle pollution."

The report breaks down grades by county, with the exception of Napa, which did not have data available for the report.

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For ozone air pollution or smog, which makes breathing difficult for people more than any other single pollutant:

• Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Sonoma received A grades.


• Solano and Contra Costa were average at C grades.


• Alameda and Santa Clara received F grades.

Barrett says this can be attributed in part to industrial sources, like the Port of Oakland.

"Those emissions coming out of the Port, the diesel, is going to impact communities really close nearby. But also, it can drift and get further and further away from the shoreline," Barrett said.

For particle pollution, brought on by factors like wildfires:

• Marin and San Francisco topped the list with A grades.


• San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma received Bs.


• Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara found themselves at the bottom with C grades.

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CSU East Bay Assistant Professor of Public Health Kelsi Perttula says poor grades lead to poor health.

"Poor air quality isn't just uncomfortable or unpleasant looking, it's linked to real health effects, such as asthma attacks, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and, ultimately, it leads to premature death," Perttula said.

Perttula said threats to federal funding of the Environmental Protection Agency may make our air quality even worse locally. So, the more we can take steps to reduce emissions and bring down pollutant levels, the better our community will be.

"It's a really important time to make this decision when we have clean energy sources available, because that's the only way to really get at the root cause of this problem in the long term," Perttula said.

It's for a future filled with clean air for all in the Bay Area and beyond.

You can read the full "State of the Air" report here.