Air: Outdoor Air Quality and Health

Unzipping smog to show clean blue sky

The quality of the air we breathe impacts our health. Breathing polluted air can cause health problems ranging from watery eyes and cough, to worsening asthma, heart attack and stroke.

Most outdoor air pollution results from human activities, such as smoking, driving petroleum-powered vehicles, industrial operations, and burning wood, natural gas, or coal for electricity and heating and cooling buildings. Pollution can also come from natural sources such as smoke from wildfires, dust, and dirt.

Climate change also impacts air quality, creating conditions like warmer temperatures and decreased precipitation that make it easier for outdoor air pollutants to form. Plus, climate change is increasing temperatures in Wisconsin, lengthening the growing season for pollens and increasing the presence of allergens in the air from trees, grasses, weeds, and mold.

No matter the source, outdoor air pollution can cause new health problems and worsen existing ones. It can even be deadly.

More detailed information about air quality and health risks is included below. Click the plus sign on the right to expand the sections.


Interested in air quality data?

The Wisconsin with the Public Health Tracking Program provides data on air quality from the Department of Natural Resources' monitoring stations (opens external link) located all over Wisconsin.

Last revised February 21, 2025