Allegheny County has met federal air quality standards for fine particulate matter pollution for the second time, according to an announcement from the county Health Department on Tuesday.
For the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, the county was within the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual threshold for the air pollutant at all eight of its air quality monitors. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, consists of tiny, inhalable droplets of a mix of liquids and solids.
The county had also met these standards for the three-year period from 2018 to 2020.
The Health Department operates eight official air quality monitors that record PM2.5 levels in Liberty, North Braddock, Clairton, Avalon, Lawrenceville, South Fayette, Harrison and along the Parkway East. All PM2.5 monitors in the county were previously measuring within EPA standards, except for the Liberty monitor in the Mon Valley.
Dr. Debra Bogen, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, said in a news release that meeting this benchmark “only tells part of the story but not the entire story.”
“More work remains, but we will not stop — as evidenced by our continued proactive approach to protecting residents’ health and holding sources accountable,” she said.
The Health Department recently imposed a series of fines against U.S. Steel for air quality violations.
Fine particle pollution can cause short-term side effects such as coughing, shortness of breath, and irritation to the eyes, throat and lungs. In some people, it can trigger asthma attacks and raise the risk of heart attacks.
Although the county has met the EPA's threshold on this measurement, a recent report by the American Lung Association found that the Pittsburgh area still rates among the worst metropolitan areas in the country on certain measures of air quality. However, that report covered the period of 2018 to 2020 and looked at a 12-county metropolitan region that includes parts of Western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
This year, the Health Department has issued two air quality warnings for the Mon Valley, one on March 15 and the other on Sunday. During these days, levels of PM2.5 were considered unhealthy for certain vulnerable groups of people, including young children, the elderly, and those with asthma, emphysema and other respiratory issues.
Last year, Allegheny County marked a milestone when it met all federal air quality standards for the first time in its history. These include limits for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone and both fine and large airborne particles.
Emily Mullin: emullin@post-gazette.com
First Published: April 27, 2022, 7:38 p.m.
