[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-184125-en":3,"doc-seo-184125-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},184125,687207017582,"Ethan Miller","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d",8,"Research & Report","State-of-the-Air 2026 Report - Statistical Methodology","The report details how air quality data are assembled and analyzed for ozone and year-round particle pollution across the United States for 2022–2024. Air measurements are sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System, with characterization support from A.S.L. & Associates. Methodology includes computing daily 8-hour ozone maxima from qualified FRM/FEM monitors, defining representative three-year design values by county, and mapping results to EPA Air Quality Index categories for both ozone and 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations.","| Statistical Methodology: The Air Quality Data\u003Cbr>Data Sources\u003Cbr>Ozone and short-term particle pollution. The data on air quality throughout the United States were obtained from the U .S . Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS)  . The American Lung Association contracted with Dr . Allen S . Lefohn,\u003Cbr>A  .S . L  . & Associates, Montana, to characterize the hourly averaged ozone concentration information and the 24-hour averaged PM2 .5 concentration information for the three-year period for 2022-2024 for each monitoring site .\u003Cbr>Year-round particle pollution. Design values for the annual PM2 .5 concentrations by county (or county equivalent, hereinafter referred to for simplicity as “county”) for the period 2022-2024 were retrieved July 24, 2025 from data posted on June 3, 2025 at the U .S . Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website at [https://www](https://www) .epa  .gov/air-trends/ air-quality-design-values  .\u003Cbr>The Lung Association received critical assistance from members of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies and the Association of Air Pollution Control Agencies  . With their assistance, all state and local agencies were provided with the opportunity to review and comment on the data in draft tabular form  . The Lung Association reviewed any discrepancies with the agencies and, if needed, with Dr . Lefohn at\u003Cbr>A  .S . L  . & Associates  . The American Lung Association wishes to express its continued appreciation to the state and local air directors for their willingness to assist in ensuring that the characterized data used in this report are correct  .\u003Cbr>Ozone Data Analysis\u003Cbr>The 2022, 2023 and 2024 AQS hourly ozone data were used to calculate the daily 8-hour maximum concentration for each ozone-monitoring site . The hourly averaged ozone data were downloaded on June 30, 2025, following the close of the authorized period for quality review and assurance certification of data  . Only the hourly average ozone concentrations derived from FRM and FEM monitors were used in the analysis  . The data were considered for a three-year period for the same reason that EPA uses three years of data to determine compliance with the ozone standard: to prevent anomalies in weather or other factors in any single year from creating air pollution levels that inaccurately reflect normal conditions  . The highest 8-hour daily maximum concentration in each county for 2022, 2023 and 2024, based on the EPA-defined ozone season, was identified  .\u003Cbr>The current National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone is 70 parts per billion (ppb) measured over eight hours  . EPA’s Air Quality Index reflects the 70 ppb standard  . A  .S . L  . & Associates prepared a table by county that summarized, for each of the three years, the number of days the ozone level was within the ranges identified by EPA based on the following Air Quality Index: |  |\n| --- | --- |\n| 8-hour Ozone Concentration | Air Quality Index Levels |\n| 0-54 ppb | n Good (Green) |\n| 55-70 ppb | n Moderate (Yellow) |\n| 71-85 ppb | n Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange) |\n| 86-105 ppb | n Unhealthy (Red) |\n| 106-200 ppb | n Very Unhealthy (Purple) |\n| >200 ppb | n Hazardous (Maroon) |\n\n| 24-hour PM2.5 Concentration | Air Quality Index Levels |\n| --- | --- |\n| 0 .0 µg/m3 to 9 .0 µg/m3 | n Good (Green) |\n| 9 .1 µg/m3 to 35 .4 µg/m3 | n Moderate (Yellow) |\n| 35 .5 µg/m3 to 55 .4 µg/m3 | n Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange) |\n| 55 .5 µg/m3 to 125 .4 µg/m3 | n Unhealthy (Red) |\n| 125 .5 to 225 .4 µg/m3 | n Very Unhealthy (Purple) |\n| greater than or equal to 225 .5 µg/m3 | n Hazardous (Maroon) |","cbCaituRbj7w1yQx","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaituRbj7w1yQx","pdf",3459396,1,163,"English","en",105,"# Statistical Methodology: The Air Quality Data\n## Data Sources\n## Ozone Data Analysis","[{\"question\":\"What data sources are used for ozone and PM2.5 in the report?\",\"answer\":\"Ozone and PM2.5 data are obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS). The characterization work for the specified period is supported through coordination with A.S.L. \\u0026 Associates, and related reviews involve state and local agencies.\"},{\"question\":\"How is ozone concentration analyzed in this methodology?\",\"answer\":\"The report uses AQS hourly ozone data for 2022, 2023, and 2024 to calculate the daily 8-hour maximum for each monitoring site. Only ozone concentrations derived from FRM and FEM monitors are included.\"},{\"question\":\"How are AQI categories applied to ozone and PM2.5 results?\",\"answer\":\"EPA Air Quality Index ranges are used to classify ozone 8-hour concentrations and 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations into Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous levels based on the report’s listed thresholds.\"}]","State-of-the-Air 2026 Report - Statistical Methodology | PDF",1788356321,411,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"state-of-the-air-2026-report-statistical-methodology","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/state-of-the-air-2026-report-statistical-methodology/184125/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-04","2026-09-02",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"What data sources are used for ozone and PM2.5 in the report?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"Ozone and PM2.5 data are obtained from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System (AQS). The characterization work for the specified period is supported through coordination with A.S.L. & Associates, and related reviews involve state and local agencies.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"How is ozone concentration analyzed in this methodology?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"The report uses AQS hourly ozone data for 2022, 2023, and 2024 to calculate the daily 8-hour maximum for each monitoring site. Only ozone concentrations derived from FRM and FEM monitors are included.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"How are AQI categories applied to ozone and PM2.5 results?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"EPA Air Quality Index ranges are used to classify ozone 8-hour concentrations and 24-hour PM2.5 concentrations into Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous levels based on the report’s listed thresholds.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":88,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":90,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":93},[94,98,102,106,111,116,121,124,129,132,136],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":99,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":101},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":113,"show_sort_weight":114,"slug":115},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":118,"show_sort_weight":119,"slug":120},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},30,"research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":135},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":137,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":138,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":139},19,"General","general"]