If allergy season has you down, your location may be the blame, especially if you live in Fulton. It's the worst county in Georgia for allergies, according to a recent report by 24/7 Wall St., a financial news and opinion company.
The Delaware corporation made its selection based on the annual number of low-air-quality days, the amount of ragweed pollen, which can lead to allergies and asthma, and the ozone levels of U.S. counties pulled from the Environmental Protection Agency from 2011-2015.
While all of Georgia is more prone to allergies than cooler locales due to its southern region, Fulton ranked No. 1 on the Georgia list. Plus, 98.9 percent of the county's population live in urban areas, which tend to be hotter than rural ones. That's because building and pavement materials in urban areas capture heat then re-radiate it more slowly than natural, vegetated areas, which can "contribute to higher pollen and ozone production in cities," the analysis said.
Additionally, the study revealed that these conditions can diminish a city's economy as seasonal allergies are linked to an estimated 3.8 million missed work and school days each year nationally.
Want to learn more? Click here to read the full report.
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