Air quality in the Baton Rouge and Hammond metro areas has received failing grades for smog and fine particle pollution in a new three-year study, while New Orleans dropped in the national rankings despite faring better than those neighboring cities.
The American Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report for 2026 revealed a mixed picture for Louisiana air quality based on those two major pollutants between 2022 and 2024.
In northern Louisiana, the Monroe-Ruston and Shreveport-Bossier City metro areas were rated among the cleanest in the nation for ground-level ozone — more commonly known as smog — and short-term particulate pollution, respectively. Though most other parts of the state remained in compliance, many saw pollution rankings slip as they fell behind other states with improving air…