US Air Quality Gradebook

Maps

Hyperlinks below access maps of air quality for each state.  The maps grade air quality in counties from A to F, with A being the best/cleanest in the US, and F being the worst/dirtiest.  For grading details, see the emission gradesheets and ambient gradesheets. Because air masses flow readily across county lines, the maps restrict grade changes across county boundaries to one level, as C to D, and not C to F.  Therefore, a county’s neighbors may lower its grade from what appears on the

gradesheets.  The maps consider a county in the context of its neighboring counties, whereas the gradesheets consider counties individually.^1  Bordering counties may be in adjacent states.^2 Click a state on the map or list to bring up its air quality map.  The first map in the list is an overview of the entire United States.  After viewing a map, click the browser’s back button/arrow to return to this index page.^3

United States Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii

Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

[United States high-resolution map: large file – 3500 pixels wide by 2198 pixels high,
541 KB, 4 min. download at 28 kbps.]

^1 Gradesheet D’s and F’s remain.  Grades A, B, and C go to D if bordering counties are F.  Then, A and B go to C if bordering counties are D.  Then, grades A go to B if bordering counties are C. ^2 The maps assume bordering areas in

Mexico and Canada do not modify levels in neighboring US counties. ^3 For clear maps of county boundaries and names, see http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html.  Select a state, and click "view map."

Return to Air Quality Homepage

Abstract: At Creative Methods, we try to “step outside the box” and look at fundamental issues in our world with new perspective.  Under the issue Air Quality, we present EPA data as maps and gradesheets that grade US counties A to F for 21 EPA measures of air quality.  The topics of air pollution and environmental health are serious issues in the US, and result in pollution health effects including headache, respiratory impairment, neurological impairment, mental impairment, asthma, lung disease, chronic fatigue, immune system dysfunction, premature aging, and reduced longevity.  Environmental science monitors air pollutant emissions, as well as criteria air pollutant concentrations through ambient monitoring.  The US Air Quality Gradebook (“AirGrades”) grades both emissions and ambient concentrations on maps and gradesheets, and assigns resultant composite scores to US counties.  Air pollutants include carbon monoxide, CO; lead, Pb; nitrogen dioxide, NO2; nitrogen oxides, NOx;

volatile organic compounds, VOC; ozone, O3; particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometers in size, PM10; particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in size, PM2.5; ammonia, NH3; sulphur dioxide, SO2; hazardous air pollutants, HAP; diesel emissions; and acrolein.  Air pollution point sources include electric power generating facilities and industrial plants.  Area source emissions include wildfires, forest fires, open burning, permitted burning, structure fires, and fugitive dust.  Mobile sources include highway and off-road vehicles with internal combustion engines such as automobiles, trucks, trains, airplanes, snowmobiles, and all terrain vehicles (ATVs).  The maps, gradesheets, and source sheets demonstrate that clean air is at a premium in the US.  Sites presenting issues on health and the environment related to those presented under the topic Air Grades by Creative Methods at CreativeMethods.com are Scorecard at Scorecard.com and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, at EPA.gov.