(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, metro Detroit has some of the worst air pollution in the country, ranking 6th for year-round exposure. That’s according to the American Lung Association’s annual "State of the Air" report.
This is very concerning. According to the 2025 annual report, roughly 156 million people in the US are breathing unhealthy air. That’s about 25 million more than last year.
Now, the American Lung Association analyzed air quality data, focusing on ozone levels and particle pollution or soot. These are bits of solid and liquid droplets floating in the air, like dirt, dust, and smoke. These particles come from all sorts of places—power plants, cars, farms, construction sites, and wildfires. And heat waves made it all worse.
As for what the report found for the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor area, we ranked 6th due to the number of days with unhealthy air we had during the study period. That includes just over six days with high ozone—that’s smog. And eight and a half days with high levels of particle pollution or soot.
You may be thinking, “14 days doesn’t sound like a lot.” But these particles are super tiny—smaller than a human hair—and they can be really dangerous to breathe in, especially at higher concentrations. The problem is, they can get deep into your lungs—and even enter your bloodstream.
Air pollution can lead to problems like:
- Wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath
- Asthma attacks and worsening COPD
- A higher risk of heart attacks and strokes
- Lung cancer
- Preterm births
- Even cognitive decline and mental health issues like anxiety and depression
- And unfortunately, it can even lead to early death.
So, what can you do to protect yourself and the people you love?
Start by checking your local air quality at https://www.airnow.gov/. If the air’s not good, try to stay indoors.
If you have to be outside on a bad air day, consider wearing a mask and skipping heavy exercise.
Keep windows and doors closed and run your air conditioner on “recirculate” mode.
And if you can, use an air purifier with a HEPA filter at home.
Also, avoid burning wood or trash, as that’s a big source of harmful pollution.
Air pollution is a real threat, and we all need to take it seriously. Lastly, if you notice any new health symptoms or something just doesn’t feel right, please talk to your doctor.
