PM2.5 Concentration [Washington (State)]
State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal · 2025 Full Details
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Full Details
- Title
- PM2.5 Concentration [Washington (State)]
- Description
- This data is included as part of the Environmental Health Disparities Version 3.0 map. To see this map, visit our webpage . For more technical information on this map and the model used, visit our technical report (link) . Background Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), or fine particulate matter, are tiny particles that are 2.5 micrometers or smaller in size. These particles come from things like burning wood, dust, factories, commercial cooking, and vehicle exhaust. The particles can either come directly from a source or can form when chemicals like sulfur and nitrogen oxides react in the air. The makeup of PM2.5 can change depending on the season, location, and weather. Historically minoritized people, older adults, children, and people with lung problems are more likely to experience significant health impacts from PM2.5. PM2.5 particles are small enough to get into the lungs and bloodstream, causing health problems. They can also harm nature by getting into the soil and water. Evidence PM2.5 is primarily released from wildfires, residential wood burning, industrial activities, and vehicle emissions [1]. PM2.5 particles can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream, where they trigger inflammation [2]. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 is linked to lung and heart diseases, including lung cancer. Short-term exposure is linked to asthma attacks, hospitalizations, low birthweight babies, and fatal heart attacks [3, 4]. Urban areas and resource limited neighborhoods near factories or dense traffic often experience higher PM2.5 levels [5]. Black, Asian, and Latino populations in the U.S. are consistently exposed to higher PM2.5 levels compared to white and Native American populations. These differences are getting worse over time [6]. Rural areas are exposed to PM2.5 from higher rates of wood heating and outdoor burning, as well as their proximity to wildfires. Limited health care access makes it harder for rural residents to manage pollution-related health issues [7]. PM2.5 also contributes to bad water quality and impacts aquatic life [8]. Data source PM2.5 2022-2024 estimates from the Washington State Department of Ecology Methods This measure looks at the average and 98th percentile daily PM2.5 levels from 2022-2024. These are estimated for 5km x 5km grid cells across Washington. Daily average PM2.5 concentrations are estimated by combining expected levels from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast model with measured concentrations from the Washington Ambient Air Monitoring Network. The NOAA forecast model accounts for emissions, meteorology, and topography. The differences between the modeled and measured concentrations are calculated across the grid. This is combined with the forecast model to produce daily average PM2.5 concentrations. The average and 98 th percentile concentrations are calculated for all points in the grid. Each census tract is assigned the PM2.5 levels of its most populated grid cell. Grid cell populations are estimated using 2020 census block groups. In each census tract, the average and 98 th percentile PM2.5 levels are combined into a single score. This score reflects both long-term (average) and peak (98 th percentile) short-term (24-hour) PM2.5 levels. Spikes in PM2.5 due to wildfire smoke are not included in these calculations, since wildfire smoke exposure is scored separately. The Department of Ecology created custom rankings for the map which divide the data into equal intervals. All areas exceeding federal health standards receive a score of 10. More information about federal PM2.5 standards can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/pm- pollution/timeline-particulate-matter-pm-national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs PM2.5 monitoring data are available from the Washington State Department of Ecology at https://enviwa.ecology.wa.gov/mobile The NOAA PM2.5 forecasts are available at: https://airquality.weather.gov/?element=apm25h01_bc Caveats This meth od as sumes that air qua lity i s the same across an entire census tract. This isn't always accurate, especially in rural areas where census tracts are typically larger and air quality conditions more variable. Treating a whole census tract as having the same PM 2.5 level may miss pollution differences that could affect the health and the environment of smaller communities in that area. For more detailed data, view the 5km x 5km ozone dataset as an overlay by clicking on the EHD map topic on the information by location tool: Information by Location , Washington Tracking Network (WTN) Sources Kampa, M., & Castanas, E. (2008). Human health effects of air pollution. Environmental Pollution , 151(2), 362-367. Burnett, R. T., Pope, A. T., Ezzati, M., Olives, C., Lim, S. S., & Mehta, S. (2018). An integrated risk function for estimating the global burden of disease attributable to ambient fine particulate matter exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives , 120(4), 572-580. Dockery, D. W., & Pope, C. A. (1994). Acute respiratory effects of particulate air pollution. Annual Review of Public Health , 15(1), 107-132. Dominici, F., McDermott, A., Zeger, S. L., & Samet, J. M. (2006). On the use of generalized additive models in time-series studies of air pollution and health. American Journal of Epidemiology , 164(3), 293-303. Bell, M. L., Goldberg, R., Hogrefe, C., Kinney, P. L., Knowlton, K., Rosenthal, J. K., & Patz, J. A. (2007). Climate change, ambient ozone, and health in 50 U.S. cities. Climate Change , 82(1-2), 61-76. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "Racial and Ethnic Minorities Breathe More Hazardous Air Pollution Than White Americans." Harvard Public Health News , 2022. Reid, C. E., Brauer, M., & Johnston, F. H. (2016). Critical review of the health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives , 124(4), 423-431. Pope, C. A., III, Ezzati, M., & Dockery, D. W. (2013). Fine particulate air pollution and life expectancy in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine , 360(4), 376-386. Citation Washington Tracking Network, Washington State Department of Health. Web. "PM2.5 Concentration". Data obtained from the Department of Ecology, 2022-2024 PM2.5 Concentration Data. Published September 2025.
- Creator
- WADOH
- Publisher
- State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal
- Temporal Coverage
- Last Modified: 2025-07-16
- Date Issued
- 2025-07-08
- Rights
- Neither the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH), nor any agency, officer, or employee of the WADOH warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity who relies on any information obtained from this system does so at their own risk.
- Access Rights
- Public
- Format
- ArcGIS FeatureLayer
- Language
- English
- Date Added
- February 02, 2026
- Provenance Statement
- The metadata for this resource was last retrieved from State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal on 2026-02-02.
Cite and Reference
-
Citation
WADOH (2025). PM2.5 Concentration [Washington (State)]. State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal. https://geo.wa.gov/datasets/83ddc6d32c61448f86ceadfd5fc4cebf_0 (web service) -
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