|
|
Watching Out For The Oh-No-Zone
Ozone Action days can really put a chokehold on your summer plans—and choke your breathing.
Those are the days (usually hazy and still, with above-90-degree temperatures) when the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection forecasts exceptionally high concentrations of ground-level ozone. Unlike O3 in the upper atmosphere that protects us from ultraviolet rays, the closer-to-home molecules can damage one’s lungs and throat, intensify heart and lung diseases, and lower resistance to illness. Children and those with breathing problems are the most at risk, but everybody can suffer.
Ozone, the main ingredient in smog, forms when there’s a chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. The summer provides the sun, and plenty of sources (automobile exhaust, industrial emissions, and gasoline vapors, among others) provide the rest. New Jersey sits in a perfect storm of air pollution; for the tenth consecutive year, the American Lung Association has given the state failing grades in its State of the Air report, and parts of the Garden State were ranked among the most polluted areas in the country.
But things are getting better. “There are still improvements we need to make, especially for ozone and fine particles,” says Karen Hershey of the DEP. “But overall air-quality improvements have been significant.” The DEP posts air-quality readings, forecasts, and ozone alerts on its website (state.nj.us/dep/airmon/). Here’s a primer.
DO...
• Work from home**
• Carpool or use mass transit*
• Refuel your car in the evening*
• Plan efficient routes*
DON’T...
• Top off your tank*
• Do strenuous activities outdoors**
• Venture out if you are in an at-risk category**
• Idle your car*
• Use gasoline-powered mowers**
*Always **On Ozone Action days
Air Quality Index:
GOOD AQI: 0-50
Weather Conditions: Cool summer temperatures; windy; significant cloud cover; heavy or steady precipitation.
Health Effects: None
MODERATE AQI: 51-100
Weather Conditions: Temperatures in the upper 70’s to lower 80’s; light to moderate winds; partly cloudy or mostly sunny skies; chance of rain or afternoon thunderstorms.
Health Effects: Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
UNHEALTHY(for Sensitive Group) AQI: 101-150
Weather Conditions: Temperatures in the 80s and 90s, light winds; mostly sunny skies; slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms.
Health Effects: Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
UNHEALTHY
AQI: 151-200
Weather Conditions: Hot, hazy, and humid; stagnant air; sunny skies; little chance of precipitation.
Health Effects: Active children and adults, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
VERY UNHEALTHY
AQI: 201-300
Weather Conditions: Hot and very hazy; extremely stagnant air; sunny skies; no precipitation.
Health Effects: Active children and adults, and people with respiratory diseases such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
Chart information courtesy of EPA.
