ATLANTA — The American Lung Association released its 26th annual “State of the Air” report on Wednesday, and the findings for metro Atlanta are concerning. The city received an “F” grade for ozone pollution and ranked among the worst in the Southeast for both ozone and particle pollution.

“Unfortunately our grade did go to an F this year in the Atlanta area,” said Danna Thompson with the Georgia Lung Association.

According to the report, Atlanta is the third worst metro area in the Southeast for ozone pollution and tied for fourth worst for year-round particle pollution. The data covers air quality trends from 2021 through 2023 and highlights the health risks tied to prolonged exposure.

“The data shows that these pollutants can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma, heart attacks, and preterm births,” Thompson explained.

The association is raising concerns about potential cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is urging Georgians to support clean air protections. Thompson is encouraging residents to sign a petition on the Lung Association’s website to help defend federal air quality standards.

“We are really asking people to engage and sign our petition at lung.org/sota,” she said.

The “State of the Air” report ranks the cleanest and most polluted U.S. cities based on ozone and particle pollution levels. For Georgia, the findings reinforce the need for continued monitoring, public health protections, and stronger environmental policies.