You've heard a lot of talk about smog over the past few years. But what you haven't heard is the whole story. Metro Atlanta's air quality is often poor, particularly on hot, humid, summer days.
People talk about smoggy, hazy days.
We've provided some basic information here and some helpful air quality links at the bottom this page. By clicking on the links button you can find additional resources and information. Smog is composed primarily of ground-level ozone, which is invisible, plus particulate matter, aerosols and other gases. While ozone in the upper levels of the Earth's atmosphere is beneficial to the planet in that it reduces the sun's harmful rays, the presence of ozone at ground-level is hazardous for human health and the environment. Metro Atlanta has not met federal standards for ground-level ozone since it began monitoring for ozone in the early 1980s.