JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – According to the American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report released on April 23, air quality in the Jackson-metro area has worsened.

Officials with the American Lung Association said residents are being exposed to more unhealthy ozone smog and year-round levels of particle pollution.

Findings for the Jackson-metro area include:

• Ground-level Ozone Pollution:
  • Number of Unhealthy Days per Year: 0.7 days (0 days in 2024 report)
  • Grade: B (A in 2024 report)
  • National Ranking: 149^th worst out of 228 (tied for 1^st cleanest in 2024 report)
• Short-Term Spikes in Particle Pollution:
  • Number of Unhealthy Days Per Year: 0.7 days (0.7 days in 2024 report)
  • Grade: B (C in 2024 report)
  • National Ranking: 156^th worst out of 223 (85^th worst in 2024 report)
• Year-Round Average Level of Particle Pollution:
  • Grade: Failing grade, pollution levels above the federal standard (failing grade in 2024 report)
  • National Ranking: 54^th worst out of 204 (29^th worst in 2024 report)

According to the association, ozone and particle pollution are widespread and can impact anyone’s health. Both pollutants can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, preterm births and impaired cognitive functioning later in life. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer.

“Unfortunately, too many people in the Jackson metro area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution. This air pollution is a threat to human health at every stage of life—increasing the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in babies to causing or worsening lung and heart disease to shortening lives,” said Calandra Davis, Mississippi director of advocacy at the Lung Association. “We urge Mississippi policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, including implementing more frequent and transparent testing, monitoring, and reporting of emissions. We are calling on everyone to support the incredibly important work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Without EPA staff and programs, Mississippians won’t know what’s in the air they’re breathing, and efforts to clean up air pollution will be undone.”

Other notable findings across Mississippi include:

• Ozone smog in the Gulfport-Biloxi metro area worsened from a “B” to a “C” grade. However, for third year in a row, it listed among the nation’s cleanest for daily particle pollution. Year-round particle pollution improved to the area’s second-best ever.
• After seven reports listing the Tupelo-metro area among the nation’s cleanest with straight “A’s” for ozone smog, its grade worsened to a “B.”

Officials said the report relies on data from air quality monitors managed by state, local and Tribal air pollution control authorities in counties across the U.S. In Mississippi, only 10 out of 82 counties could be graded for at least one measure of air quality.