![]() This has been true for ozone levels since 2002 and PM2.5 levels since 2008. These reductions come despite increases in population, employment, and households, suggesting that actions taken to control Washington, D.C.’s air pollution have generally been successful.Īir quality levels in Washington, D.C., are notably lower than neighboring cities. Data from the EPA National Emissions Inventory (NEI) estimates that emissions of all criteria pollutants and their precursors have gradually fallen since 1996. How polluted is the air quality in Washington, D.C.?įrom a long-term perspective, air quality in Washington, D.C., has seen drastic improvements over recent decades. Use the District of Colombia forecast air quality data to plan ahead and take precautionary measures to reduce your pollution exposure. ![]() In 2017, October, November and December all experienced average PM2.5 levels in the “moderate” US AQI category, outside of the federal target.įollow live air quality data in Washington, D.C., at the top of this page and on the IQAir air pollution app. During these months, increased emissions from home and building heating can become trapped by temperature inversions, a weather event in which a hot layer of air traps cooler, more polluted ground-level air from rising and dispersing. December, January, and February are often Washington, D.C.’s most polluted months for PM2.5. Though Washington, D.C., has met federal attainment levels for annual and 24-hour PM2.5 since 2009, pollution events are not uncommon, particularly during the winter months. This property contributes to PM2.5’s far reaching health implications, including short-term effects like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and aggravated asthma as well as long-term effects like lung damage and decreased lung function, cancer, and premature mortality. ![]() Its near microscopic size enables PM2.5 to be inhaled deep into the lungs and often into the bloodstream. PM2.5 describes any airborne particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in size, including a wide range of chemical makeups and sources. To combat this, increased regulation on heavy duty trucks and vehicles as well as improved regional cooperation with nearby Virginia and Maryland is critical to further reducing ozone levels in the future in the wake of rising temperatures.įine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is another closely monitored and actively managed pollutant in Washington, D.C. 2 Warming temperatures as a result of climate change are expected to increase ozone levels as a result of hotter, more ideal conditions for ozone formation. These days in excess of safe ozone levels have landed the city an “F” rating for ozone levels since tracking began.Ī study conducted by the Ozone Transport Commission estimated that roughly 24,448 residents experienced acute respiratory symptoms in 2018 as a result of high ozone levels, while 19 were admitted to the hospital for severe symptoms. ![]() From 2016 to 2018, the most recent monitoring period, the city experienced 5.2 unhealthy ozone days. Since this period, Washington, D.C.’s ozone levels have been on the rise. 1 Several years ago, the city got close, however, with a weighted average of 3.3 unhealthy ozone days from 2014-2016, just slightly above the 3.2-day limit for unhealthy days. The District of Columbia has failed to meet ozone attainment levels since at least 1996. Precursor pollutants may originate from local emission sources or flow into a city from up to a thousand miles away.īreathing ozone pollution can cause serious health complications, ranging from a cough and breathing problems to respiratory infections, cardiovascular effects, and premature death. This property of forming from precursor pollutants in the air rather than ground-based activity makes ozone difficult to manage. Rather than being directly emitted into our air by industrial activity, motor engines, or various sources of combustion, like other criteria pollutants, ozone is formed in our atmosphere from airborne hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides reacting in sunlight. Ozone is an invisible, highly reactive gas molecule composed of three oxygen atoms. The city, however, meets federal attainment for all other key criteria pollutants monitored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO 2, and NO 2. Washington, D.C.’s air quality suffers from high ozone levels, which exceed government standards. What is the air quality in Washington, D.C.?
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