Lung Association Gives Delaware County an 'F'

Delaware County's level of ozone has earned it an "F" in a new report by the American Lung Association.

The association's 2012 "State of the Air" report also found that the Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland metro area ranks among the 10 most polluted areas in the nation for year-round particle pollution.

"State of the Air shows that we're are making steady progress in cutting dangerous pollution from the air as a result of cleanup efforts required under the Clean Air Act," Deb Brown, president and CEO of the American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic, said in a news release. 

"But millions of Americans across the country ... are still forced to breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution as a result of air quality standards that are outdated."

How Other Counties Rate

Delaware County isn't alone in getting an "F" for its ozone level. A majority of Pennsylvania's counties scored the same way.

Only one county—Cambria—recieved a B, the highest grade in the report for Pennsylvania. There were six counties that got a "C" and five that got a "D." 

Among the other findings:

• Nearly 10 percent of the county's population—54,977 out of 558,979—has asthma.
• 18,789 people have chronic bronchitis.
• 8,540 people have emphysema.
• 145,346 people have cardiovascular disease.
• 43,184 people have diabetes.

How To Change It

On the State of the Air website, the American Lung Association states that to improve Delaware County's grade, residents need to:

Drive less. Use less electricity. Support measures in your community that can cut air pollution. Tell your local and state officials to take steps to clean up air pollution. Send a message to your Senators to tell them we need them to support cleaner, healthier air and to oppose measures to block or delay the cleanup of coal-fired power plants.

Are you someone with some sort of respiratory problem? Have you noticed a change in the air? Let us know in the comments section.