JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The American Lung Association named the City of Jackson as one of the top 25 best cities when it comes to air quality.

The association released its State of the Air report on Tuesday, April 18. Nationally, the report found that nearly 120 million people, or more than one in three, in the U.S. live in counties that had unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.

According to the report, the City of Jackson experienced no unhealthy days of high ozone. Jackson was ranked as one of the cleanest cities for ozone pollution. Hinds County received an “A” grade for ozone pollution.

“Here in Jackson and across the Nation, we are seeing ozone pollution improving, thanks in big part to the success of the Clean Air Act. But there is more work to do,” said Ashley Lyerly, Senior Director of Advocacy for Mississippi for the American Lung Association. “Even one poor air quality day is one too many for our residents at highest risk, such as children, older adults, individuals who are pregnant and those living with chronic disease. That’s why we are calling on lawmakers at the local, state and federal levels to take action to ensure that everyone has clean air to breathe.”

The report also tracked short-term spikes in particle pollution, which can be extremely dangerous and even deadly. Jackson’s short-term particle pollution improved in this year’s report, which means there were fewer unhealthy days. Hinds County received a “B” grade for short-term particle pollution.

The 2023 “State of the Air” found that year-round particle pollution levels in Jackson were slightly higher than in last year’s report. The area was ranked 29th most polluted for year-round particle pollution, worse than the tied ranking of 33rd last year. Jackson continues to meet the national standard but has the third worst year-round level for particle pollution in the Southeast.