These Iowa metros have the cleanest air in U.S., says new report. See air quality near you.

Paris Barraza, Des Moines Register

Several places in Iowa are among the cleanest across America when it comes to certain air pollutants, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

The American Lung Association released the State of the Air report for 2024, which includes rankings for cleanest and most polluted places across the country.

More than a third of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone, or smog, and particle pollution, according to the association. That’s an additional 11.7 million people breathing unhealthy air compared to the 2023 report, the association found.

This rise is the result of factors including extreme heat, drought and wildfires, as well as the State of the Air report using a new, stronger U.S. Environmental Protection Agency national air quality standard, according to the association.

Here’s how Iowa fares when it comes to air pollution.

Which areas in Iowa are among the cleanest in America regarding air quality?

The EPA’s Clean Air Act identifies six common air pollutants which includes ozone and particulate matter.

Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines is one of the cleanest metropolitans in America for ozone in a list of dozens of cities and metros in America, according to the report.

The combined Burlington-Fort Madison-Keokuk metropolitan area is among the cleanest metros in America regarding short-term particle pollution, as is the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metro.

There are no rankings for these two categories as all cities listed received the same scores.

Here are the counties in Iowa with passing grades on particle pollution. Counties with no particle pollution data aren’t shown, according to the report.

  • Black Hawk

  • Clinton

  • Johnson

  • Lee

  • Linn

  • Montgomery

  • Muscatine

  • Palo Alto

  • Polk

  • Pottawattamie

  • Scott

  • Van Buren

  • Woodbury

What is ozone and particle pollution and what causes air pollution?

You may be more familiar with another term for ozone, or smog, according to the lung association. The ozone layer in Earth's upper atmosphere protects people from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. But ozone air pollution, where we can breathe it, causes “serious health problems” and attacks lung tissue, according to the lung association.

This ground-level ozone “develops in the atmosphere from gases that come out of tailpipes, smokestacks, factories” and elsewhere. Wen it comes into contact with sunlight, it reacts and forms ozone smog, the association explained.

This can cause immediate health effects such as shortness of breath, asthma attacks and an increased risk of respiratory infections, according to the lung association.

Particle pollution, also known as particulate matter or soot, means a mix of solid and liquid particles in the air we breathe, according to the lung association. Many of the particles are not visible, but high levels of this pollutant will make the air hazy.

Particle pollution can be caused directly from sources such as by using wood stoves, or when activities emit gases that can form the particles, such as power plants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other sources that can cause particle pollution include vehicles and construction sites, according to the CDC.

While bigger particles can irritate your eyes, nose and throat, smaller particles can get into your lungs and blood, making them more dangerous, according to the CDC.

Which cities in America have the worst air pollution?

The Los Angeles and Long Beach metro in California ranked No. 1 for ozone. Bakersfield, California also ranked No. 1 for both the worst year-round and short-term particle pollution.

How can I find out the air quality in Iowa and near me?

Search a location by zip code, city or state to learn more about the current air quality and forecasts on airnow.gov. AirNow is a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, CDC, and other national, state and local agencies.

Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa's air quality is cleanest in Des Moines area, these counties

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