• Air Quality
• Asbestos
• Open Burning
• Ozone Info
• Division of Air & Waste Management

• Ground-level Ozone Forecast(off-site link)

Although it has been improving, air quality still deserves much attention as there is need for further improvement.

Of the six principle or criteria pollutants, ozone (O₃) is the only one in Delaware in nonattainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Ozone is also the only pollutant that has caused air quality to reach the unhealthful level in Delaware in the last 10 years. Ozone is of concern due to its effect on human health. It is a respiratory irritant that can cause shortness of breath, pain when inhaling deeply and coughing in healthy people exposed to levels greater than the NAAQS. Due to the vary hot, dry and sunny weather the number of exceedances of the ozone NAAQS in 1995 was greater than any year since 1991. In fact, Delaware recorded the highest ozone concentration in the Eastern United States and the third highest in the country. While 1995 was worse than other recent years, it showed much improvement when compared to 1983 and 1988, which were years with very similar weather conditions. Clearly our control program is making a difference. Recent ozone levels are generally lower than in the 1980s. The levels of the other criteria pollutants are below NAAQS. Improvements in air quality will continue to be a significant focus for Delawareans.