The Choking Truth: 11 Washington Counties That Failed 2023 Air Quality Report

11 Washington Counties Recieve F Grade in Latest Air Quality Report

I always thought Washington State had pretty clean air, but these 11 counties just failed the 2023 Air Particle Report.

The American Lung Association Air Quality Report for 2023

According to the American Lung Association, "More than one in three Americans live where the air they breathe earned an F in State of the Air 2023". The ALA just released their 2023 report for each of the United States giving each county a grade for particle pollution and 11 Washington State counties received an F grade. There are over 18 million Americans living in areas that received an F grade for the 2023 report.

The Dangers of Particle Pollution

The American Lung Association warns that particle pollution is a serious threat in Washington State. Particle pollution can not only cause lung cancer but also heart attacks, strokes, or early death. If you exercise or work outside in counties with high particle pollution, you could be facing increased health risks. Particle pollution and ozone are also shown to contribute to low birth weights in babies.

11 Washington State Counties That Failed from Best to Worst

The American Lung Association Air Particle Pollution report looks at the amount of days particle pollution was detected, and how dense that pollution was. They rank the air density of particles by color. Orange is the lowest or least dangerous, then red, purple, and maroon. Maroon is the worst and most severe particle pollution density ranking on the scale. The American Lung Association ranked these 11 Washington State Counties with a failing grade.

1- Whatcom

Whatcom County received a 4.7 overall score with 3 orange, 6 red, 1 purple, and 0 maroon days during 2022. Whatcom had the best overall score of the Washington counties that failed the report.

2- Kitsap

Kitsap County received a 4.8 overall rating on the 2023 air particle report. The county had 4 orange, 3 red, 3 purple, and 0 maroon days last year.

3- Pierce

Pierce County received a 6.0 rating for the report. The County had 6 orange, 4 red, 3 purple, and 0 maroon days in 2023.

4- Snohomish

Snohomish County received a 6.0 rating for the report. The County had 7 orange, 6 red, 1 purple, and 0 maroon days in 2023.

5- King

King County received a 6.2 rating for the report. The County had 5 orange, 5 red, 3 purple, and 0 maroon days in 2023.

6- Clark

Clark County received a 6.7 rating for the report. The County had 2 orange, 1 red, 2 purple, and 5 maroon days in 2023. They had the most maroon-level days of any County in Washington State.

7- Kittitas

Kittitas County received a 7.2 rating for the report. The County had 7 orange, 4 red, 3 purple, and 1 maroon day in 2023.

8- Spokane

Spokane County received an 8.0 rating for the report. The County had 1 orange, 9 red, 1 purple, and 3 maroon days in 2023.

9- Stevens

Stevens County received a 12.0 rating for the report. The County had 7 orange, 13 red, 1 purple, and 3 maroon days in 2023. Stevens County had the 2nd highest number of red days on the list.

10- Okanogan

Okanogan County received a 16.2 rating for the report. The County had 13 orange, 11 red, 7 purple, and 2 maroon days in 2023.

11-Yakima

Yakima County was the worst on the list, receiving a 19.5 rating for the report. The County had 21 orange, 17 red, 1 purple, and 4 maroon days in 2023. Yakima had the highest number of orange and red days. They also had the second-highest number of maroon days in 2022.

Read the entire American Lung Association Report by clicking here.