Photo by dullshick.

Often feel wheezy and out of breath after walking outside? You might not be out of shape, it might just be the air. (Or that’s what you can tell yourself now.) The American Lung Association issued a report giving D.C. and Arlington F grades for our smog.

According to the American Lung Association, the Washington area has the 14th highest ozone/smog levels in the country. The District averages 10.7 high ozone days a year, while Arlington has an average of 9.8.

The good news? The air quality in the D.C. area is actually getting better. The average number of high ozone days in D.C. has fallen from an average of 40 in the years 1997 to 1999. Arlington is fairing better as well, after achieving a high of 32 from 1997 to 1999.

As for particle pollution, D.C. got a D, while Arlington was given a C. These averages are also going down over time. Hat tip to ArlingtonNow.