Released every year, the ALA uses the State of the Air report to grade counties and rank cities and counties based on their scores for ozone, year-round particle pollution and short-term particle pollution levels, according to its website.
With regard to annual particle pollution, the Houston-Pasadena area ranked No. 8 out of 211 metropolitan areas. The region also ranked No. 89 out of 224 metropolitan areas for 24-hour particle pollution, according to the report.
Zooming inAccording to the report, Brazoria, Galveston, Harris and Montgomery counties all received an “F” rating for their annual weighted average number of high ozone days.
The report also examined populations at risk when it comes to air pollution, such as the number of children with asthma and those with cardiovascular disease.
The impactAccording to the ALA, air pollution can cause adverse symptoms, including but not limited to:
- Wheezing and coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Asthma attacks
- Worsening chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Lung cancer
Factors that can increase someone’s risk of symptoms include the level of exposure to air pollution, susceptibility based on other conditions one may have, access to healthcare, and psychosocial stress, according to
the report. 
