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Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025

Is Tulsa among the most ozone-polluted metropolitan areas in the country?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

Using data from the EPA, the American Lung Association’s 2025 State of the Air report ranked the Tulsa-Bartlesville-Muskogee metropolitan area at No.19 out of 228 areas for high ozone, and among the top 40% for air particle pollution.  

Both the Tulsa-Bartlesville-Muskogee and Oklahoma City-Shawnee areas received failing scores for high ozone days, as an average of 3.2 or below is required to pass, with the Tulsa area having an annual weighted average of high ozone days at 10.8. That’s more than double Oklahoma City’s average of five days but dramatically lower than the 40 or more days Tulsa was averaging 25 years ago. 

The report found that 46% of Americans live in an area that fails in at least one measure of air pollution, and more than 125 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy ozone levels, a 25% increase from the prior year’s report which is attributed to extreme heat and wildfires. 

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