Satellite Technology Reveals Potentially High Levels of Air Pollution in Marion County

The American Lung Association today released a new report, “Something in the Air: Bridging the Air Quality Data Gap with Satellite Technology,” which utilizes satellite-derived data that reveals that Marion County could have unhealthy levels of particle pollution. Currently, Marion County does not have ground-based monitors that track particle pollution.

The new report highlights the potential for satellite-derived data to complement the existing U.S. air quality monitoring network. Focusing on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), one of the most harmful air pollutants to human health, this report emphasizes how emerging technologies, such as satellites, can help provide critical air quality information to underserved communities lacking official monitoring data. 

Marion County is in the heart of the Willamette Valley in northwestern Oregon. The area is known for its temperate climate, agricultural productivity and diverse landscape of urban areas, farmlands, forests and river valleys. Marion’s population of nearly 350,000 makes it one of Oregon's more populous counties. Marion County is part of the greater Portland-Vancouver-Salem metro area, which ranked 65th worst for annual particle pollution, according to the 2024 “State of the Air” report. It is surrounded by all unmonitored counties, so little information is available about the potential influence of its immediate neighbors on its air quality.

“Marion County’s topography appears to contribute to its potential for elevated levels of particle pollution. With mountain ranges to the north and south, air pollution gets trapped in the valley. This pollution comes from I-5 corridor traffic and agricultural practices, including burning of farm fields. Similar to much of the Pacific Northwest, the area has been increasingly impacted by wildfires in recent years,” said Carrie Nyssen, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Oregon. “While Marion County doesn’t have an official air quality monitor, the satellite-derived data used in this report shows concerning levels of particle pollution. Our hope is that this report results in more communities having valuable information about air quality levels so they can better protect their health.”

Key Findings of the Report
•    Preliminary estimates based on satellite-derived data suggest that as many as 300 of the 2,700 counties in the U.S. with incomplete or no monitoring data for annual levels of PM2.5 in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 had estimated levels of pollution high enough that they might have earned a failing grade in the “State of the Air” report.  
•    The report highlights six unmonitored counties as examples where satellite data indicates potentially concerning levels of particle pollution: Collin, Texas; Forsyth, Georgia; Marion, Oregon; Mohave, Arizona; St. Charles, Missouri; and St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. 
o    These six counties provide only a snapshot. Air quality data from satellites and improved modeling could help uncover other unmonitored communities with high particle pollution.
•    Use of satellite-derived data is not intended to replace the well-established “ground truth” of regulatory monitors, which provide highly accurate, quality-assured data needed for compliance with air quality standards.
•    The future of air quality management will benefit from leveraging both ground-based monitoring and data from satellites to provide every community with the information they need to protect their health and advocate for clean air.

This report focuses on fine particle pollution, which is a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles that are in the air we breathe and are 1/30th the diameter of a strand of human hair or smaller. Particle pollution comes from wildfires, wood-burning stoves, power plants, gasoline- and diesel-engines in cars and trucks, and other sources. These microscopic particles can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and strokes, can cause lung cancer and can even be deadly. According to the 2024 “State of the Air” report, 65 million people lived in monitored counties that experienced unhealthy spikes in particle pollution, the highest number in 14 years.

"Something in the Air: Bridging the Air Quality Data Gap with Satellite Technology” calls for various actions from EPA, states and individuals, including:
•    EPA and states must fully implement the updated annual PM2.5 standard.
•    Because health-protective air quality standards are the basis for both cleanup and for communities’ understanding of local air quality, EPA must also set stronger science-based standards for all major air pollutants, including ozone and NO2. 
•    States should explore the use of satellite technology to supplement monitoring and modeling when developing State Implementation Plans for PM2.5 that ensure clean-up plans maximize benefits for health, particularly in environmental justice communities.
•    States should embrace the opportunity to integrate supplemental data sources into non-regulatory air quality advisory and alert systems for public health protection.
•    Individuals should use resources such as the EPA’s AirNow website (airnow.gov) to stay current on air quality conditions in their area that might affect their health. 
•    Individuals can become advocates in support of local and national policies that aim to improve air quality and reduce pollution by joining the American Lung Association’s Lung Action Network.