The American Lung Association's 2025 "State of the Air" report names the Cincinnati metro area as the 14th worst in the nation for year-round particle pollution. That's a move up the list from 22nd last year.
from 2021 to 2023.
"For folks in the Cincinnati metro area, the number of unhealthy ozone days per year is almost seven, and last year was four-and-a-half," says Lance Boucher, assistant VP for state public policy. "For particle pollution, it had a drastic increase to almost five days per year, and in the last year's report, it was one day."
The 2023 numbers are greatly affected by the 2023 Canadian wildfires that brought smoke down and blanketed the Ohio River valley in a haze on several occasions.
"In [2023], we had the Canadian wildfires that saw the Midwest have a very significant increase in particle pollution, and also conditions that were ripe to increase ozone pollution. So that is a driving factor," Boucher says. "But other standard pollution sources, such as vehicles and our plants, also contribute to the unhealthy air days that we have in the Cincinnati Metro."
The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency, the regulatory air quality agency for Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren counties, says the results aren't surprising.
"The entire Midwest was impacted by wildfire smoke coming from Canada, and we saw some historic particulate matter levels in readings here in Greater Cincinnati, and unfortunately, that impacted our American Lung Association report this time around," says Joy Landry, communication specialist at the agency. "We had some counties that maybe were previously graded as a 'C,' dropped all the way down to an 'F.' "
She notes a change in EPA standards also drags down this year's ratings.
"During this time period, the EPA standard for particulate matter was also tightened. It dropped from 12 down to nine," she says. "So we have some math and some just very unique weather situations working against us this time around."
Big picture, however, she says local air quality has improved over the last few decades. She points to dramatic drops in sulfur dioxide levels from the closing of coal-fired factories. Clean fuel emissions from vehicles helps, too. She encourages people to remain vigilant about improving air quality.
"We believe that all of us have a part to play," she says. "We're going into summer [and there are] little things that you could do, like lowering your blinds to prevent so much heat coming into your house. Maybe then you can turn the air conditioning up a [degree] or two ... and that machine doesn't have to work as hard. ... If you drive an older car, try not to idle your vehicle if you get caught, like at a train or railroad crossing, or you're waiting to pick somebody up. If you could turn that car engine off, that helps."
Know before you go... outside
You can check if the air quality is going to be bad for sensitive groups on a given day using the or , which also offers .
Landry says while all the metrics measured for air quality are important to check, locally ozone tends to be the factor that affects the most people.
"In our region what typically drives our 'bad air quality days' are those ozone days in the summer when you see our agency issue that air quality alert."
Air quality standards
The American Lung Association also is worried about cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and work being done under the Clean Air Act. Boucher warns moves by the Trump administration to slash air safety rules could have major detrimental health effects.
"Over the last several weeks, we've seen the proposals to eliminate several regulations that the EPA has oversight with, as as well as grossly undermined their staff and budget. We are greatly concerned about the impacts that deregulated pollutant sources from both cars and trucks and power plants will have," he says.
The organization is encouraging people to contact their lawmakers and urge them to protect air quality regulations and standards.
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