AUGUSTA, Maine — The air quality in Bangor ranks among the best in the Northeast, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Lung Association.
Bangor was ranked one of the four cities with the cleanest air in the region by the association’s annual State of the Air report.
“We are very happy for Bangor and to be seeing healthier air overall,” Jeff Seyler, president and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Northeast, said.
The State of the Air report covers data collected around the country in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and it analyzes the two most common types of pollution: ozone and particle pollution.
Ozone is created in the atmosphere by the reaction of warm air and sunlight on emissions from vehicles and other pollution sources. When inhaled, ozone irritates the lungs and can cause health problems, including wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks and even premature death, according to the lung association.
Particle pollution is a mixture of tiny solid and liquid particles that come directly from car exhaust, wood fires, coal burning power plants and other smokestacks. Particle pollution can trigger asthma and heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer and early death, the lung association said.
Despite Bangor’s high marks for particle pollution, it only ranked 189th out of 197 metropolitan areas for ozone, which is typical of the region because of air currents that carry much of the nation’s pollution over New York and New England. High ozone levels continue to plague parts of Maine, especially southern and coastal counties.
York County received a grade of F for ozone pollution, with the town of York recording the unhealthiest air in southern Maine, while Cumberland County earned a D and Knox and Hancock counties a C, according to the lung association.
York County recorded 14 days of unhealthy ozone levels over the three-year reporting period, while Cumberland County had nine, Knox County five and Hancock County four.
Androscoggin County received an A with no unhealthy days, while Aroostook County also recorded an A, with just one unhealthy day. Oxford County also received an A and had zero unhealthy days.
Kennebec, Penobscot, Sagadahoc and Washington counties all received B grades and Knox County a C.
Significant findings from the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2016 report for Maine include:
Androscoggin County
— Ozone grade of an A
— Made the list of cleanest counties for ozone pollution again; no unhealthy days
— Short-term particle pollution grade remained an A with zero unhealthy days, and annual particle pollution level improved slightly
Aroostook County
— Ozone grade of an A.
— Short-term particle pollution worsened from an A to a B; 1 red day.
— Annual particle pollution level slightly improved.
Cumberland County
— Ozone grade of a D.
— Short-term particle pollution remained an A; no unhealthy days.
— Annual particle pollution level slightly worse.
— Portland-Lewiston-South Portland metro region ranked tied for 99th on the list of most polluted for ozone pollution.
Hancock County
— Ozone grade of a C.
— Short-term particle pollution remained an A; no unhealthy days.
— Annual particle pollution level was slightly worse.
Kennebec County
— Ozone grade of a B.
— Short-term particle pollution grade remained an A; no unhealthy days (same as 2015).
— Annual particle pollution level remained the same.
Knox County
— Ozone grade of a C.
— No particle pollution monitor.
Oxford County
— Ozone grade of an A.
— Short-term particle pollution grade remained an A with zero unhealthy days.
— Annual particle pollution level was slightly worse.
Penobscot County
— Ozone grade of a B.
— Short-term particle pollution grade remained an A; no unhealthy days (same as 2015).
— Annual particle pollution level improved.
— Made the list of cleanest counties for short-term particle pollution again.
— Bangor made the list of cleanest cities for short-term particle pollution again.
— Bangor made the list of cleanest cities for annual particle pollution.
— Bangor ranked tied for 189th for most polluted cities for ozone.
Sagadahoc County
— Ozone grade of a B.
— No particle pollution monitor.
Washington County
— Ozone grade of a B.
— No particle pollution monitor.
York County
— Ozone grade remained an F.
— Ozone level worsened.
— No particle pollution monitor.