Twin Cities metro fails air pollution report card
The Twin Cities metro deserves an "F" grade on key air quality metrics, per a new pollution "report card."
Why it matters: Air pollution threatens everyone's health — especially children, seniors and people with asthma or heart and lung conditions.
The big picture: Nearly half of Americans are now exposed to potentially dangerous levels of air pollution, the American Lung Association's 2025 State of the Air report found.
State of play: The report, which looked at 200-plus large cities, dinged the Twin Cities as one of the 40 worst metro areas in the nation for 24-hour particle pollution.
The area ranked 48th for the number of high-ozone days.
Zoom in: Hennepin, Ramsey and Dakota counties got an F for particle pollution.
The report also gave Anoka and Scott counties failing grades for ozone levels.
Context: Ozone is a gas that, at ground level, is a harmful irritant. Particle pollution involves tiny airborne particles from wildfires, fossil fuel burning and more.
Threat level: Extreme heat, wildfires and drought are degrading air quality nationwide, the Lung Association says. All have been linked to climate change.
Air pollution is associated with an array of health conditions, from wheezing and coughing to asthma and premature death.
Between the lines: This latest report includes data from 2021-23, "the most recent three years of quality-assured nationwide air pollution data publicly available."
2023 was a particularly bad year for Minnesota air quality, due to wildfire smoke from Canada.
The silver lining: The Duluth metro area earned kudos from the report, ranking 15th on the report's list of top 25 cleanest cities for particle pollution.
What we're watching: The findings, which predate the current Trump administration, come as the White House is reconsidering EPA rules and regulations meant to curb pollution and promote cleaner air.
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