The American Lung Association's 2022 State of the Air report says the air quality has worsened in some parts of New York state.

The report looks at smog and soot levels within communities and this year, the state's overall air quality improved.

Looking a little closer at our communities, however, researchers found the air quality in some of the state's major cities worsened. That includes the cities of Albany and Buffalo which fell off the cleanest cities list for daily soot pollution this year.

Albany also joined Syracuse and Elmira on the list for areas with worsening year-round soot pollution.

That's something officials with the American Lung Association say may concern citizens living with health conditions.

"When we're looking at upstate communities, in particular, were looking at people that might be suffering from or living with asthma, cardiovascular disease, elderly, children, pregnant people," said Trevor Summerfield, director of advocacy in New York for the American Lung Association. "So it's a wide gamete. Our lung health is important and if you can't breathe, nothing really matters."

The Lung Association says personal habits, such as avoiding smokers, eliminating risk factors like radon and taking extra care in houses near highways, can help reduce the impact.

More information on the quality of the state's air can be found here.