Wildfire smoke, traffic pollution greatest threats to Mecklenburg County, report says

CHARLOTTE — Mecklenburg County’s air quality has worsened since last year, according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report.

The report analyzes and documents high ground-level ozone and particle pollution days over a three-year period, based on the green to purple standards set by the EPA.

Between 2021 and 2023, the report says Mecklenburg County experienced four days with high particle pollution, meaning the air quality was in the orange level, unhealthy for sensitive groups like children, pregnant people or anyone with chronic illnesses, or worse. For this, the report issued the county a C for particle pollution.

Mecklenburg County also experienced eight days with high ozone pollution over those three years. The American Lung Association awarded the county a D in ozone air quality.

Danna Thompson, North Carolina’s director of advocacy for the association, said the culprits were a mix of local highway pollution and wildfire smoke drifting in from miles away. Across the country, she said wildfires in particular have been a growing issue.

“Smoke from wildfires can harm anyone nearby and many miles down when you know breathing that smoke can shorten lives,” she said. “It can cause heart attacks, asthma attacks, and other dangerous health side effects.”

While the grades for Mecklenburg County may seem harsh, Thompson said the county is ahead of most when it comes to data collection. Only 34 of 100 North Carolina counties have monitors that can provide enough daily data for the American Lung Association to analyze.

She said it’s important for other counties and communities across the country to advocate for increased monitoring efforts from the EPA to provide day-to-day data that can keep people safe.

Thompson also called for anyone concerned about the “State of the Air” to sign a petition asking the EPA to continue its mission to protect public health from the impacts of air pollution, by maintaining strict regulations on air pollution from industry and tailpipes.

(VIDEO: Air quality concern due to fires)