Air quality has vastly improved report shows
North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like ozone and fine particles continue a long-running downward trend.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is publishing its latest update to the “Air Quality Trends in North Carolina” report.
DEQ attributes the decline of air pollution emissions to efforts by state leaders, regulatory agencies, electric utilities, industry and the public to significantly address air quality concerns over the last 50 years. Statewide emissions of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, in particular, reached all-time lows in 2022, the latest year for which data are available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to the report, statewide emissions of the air pollutants regulated under the federal Clean Air Act have declined sharply from 1990 through 2022. Specifically, emissions fell:
• 95% for sulfur dioxide (SO2)
• 74% for carbon monoxide (CO)
• 71% for nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• 48% for fine particles (PM5)
• 67% for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Not surprisingly, North Carolina’s outdoor air quality has improved as emissions have fallen. Measured concentrations of those air pollutants have been below every federal health-based standard for more than a decade. Average concentrations of SO2, for example, are 95% below the federal standard; annual nitrogen dioxide concentrations are 89% below the standard.
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North Carolina’s transition away from coal for power generation has been a major driver of these changes. More of the state’s power now comes from clean sources such as solar, wind and nuclear energy. Energy efficiency improvements in homes and buildings also reduce emissions from power plants.
Cars, trucks and other vehicles on North Carolina roads also emit far less pollution than older vehicles, thanks to improved engine and fuel standards and more advanced emissions controls. From 1990 through 2022, CO, NOx, and VOC emissions have declined by 81%, 72% and 85%, respectively, from these on-road sources of air pollution. The state expects to see further reductions from the transportation sector in the coming years due to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles.
