Stark Air Quality Improves from 2019 to 2020

CANTON, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – Perhaps it’s something good that came out of the pandemic.

The air in Stark County was 8-percent less polluted in the year 2020, compared to 2019.

The median Air Quality Index that is ideally below 100 at all times was 43 the year before last.

The data for 2021 is not yet available.

The Canton City Public Health Air Pollution Control Division has three monitors in the county measuring ozone pollution, and another constantly producing readings for particulate matter.

Readings are taken throughout each weekday.

Here’s the information provided by the city health department:

We calculated this AQI data from our own database, which showed the following:

Median AQI in 2019 was 46

Median AQI in 2020 was 43

% of days with good air quality in 2019 = 63.5%

% of days with good air quality in 2020 = 73.3%

% change in median AQI was -8.1%