![Car exhaust is one source of particle pollution. [Ody_Stocker / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/877f364/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F4%2F24%2Fshutterstock_526848964.jpg)
For the first time in many years, Cuyahoga County has received a 鈥減ass鈥� grade for particle pollution from the American Lung Association鈥檚 annual . The pass/fail grade is set based on .
Overall, this year鈥檚 report is a mixed bag for Northeast Ohio. Cuyahoga County did see some improvement in particle pollution, or soot, but it is still the ninth worst metro area in the country for this pollutant. comes from many sources, including car exhaust, fires, and coal power plant emissions.
"Even though we have improved, you want to get so you鈥檙e no longer among the worst in the nation, so you want to continue that improvement," said Ken Fletcher, Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association in Ohio.
Smog, or ground-level ozone, was also up this year across Northeast Ohio. Lake County was the worst in terms of bad ozone days.
The report calls for addressing climate change and strengthening and enforcing the Clean Air Act in order to protect and improve air quality.
Children and older adults, as well as people with diseases like asthma and diabetes, are most at risk for harm from air pollution, said Fletcher, but it isn鈥檛 good for anyone.