The decline in air quality is concerning because it affects everyone’s health. Both ozone and particulate matter can cause health complications, such as asthma attacks and even premature death, the lung association warns.

“Unfortunately, too many people in the Atlanta metro area are living with unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution,” Danna Thompson, the group’s Georgia advocacy director said in a statement. “This air pollution is a threat to human health at every stage of life — increasing the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in babies to causing or worsening lung and heart disease to shortening lives.“

Metro Atlanta is not the only Georgia region to see a decline in air quality this year. Savannah fell from an “A” grade to a “B” grade for ozone.

There were bits of good news. While Augusta tied with Atlanta as one of the Southeast’s worst metros for year-round particle pollution, it ranked among cleanest in the nation for smog.

And despite Atlanta’s poor grades, no city in Georgia or the Southeast made the association’s list of 25 most polluted cities, as measured by ozone and short-term and year-round particle pollution. The three worst cities nationwide in those categories are all in California, with Los Angeles coming in as the No. 1 worst by ozone.

However, the report notes that nearly half of the country lives in areas with unhealthy air quality. Extreme heat and wildfires are contributing to worsening air quality in much of the country, experts warn.

“We urge Georgia policymakers to take action to improve our air quality, and we are calling on everyone to support the incredibly important work of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” Thompson said. “Without EPA staff and programs, Georgians won’t know what’s in the air they’re breathing, and efforts to clean up air pollution will be undone.”

— This is a developing story. Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.