Guest Post by Washoe County Air Quality - Summer is the Season of Ozone

Enjoy this guest post from our friends at Washoe County Air Quality! 

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Forecast calls for sunny skies and hot temperatures for Northern Nevada. The air quality should be good as long as there isn't any wildfire smoke, right? Well, not necessarily. Let me explain. 

Summer is the season of ozone (O3). There is both stratospheric and ground level O3. The stratospheric ozone protects us from the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. Ground level ozone is an air pollutant that harms humans and the environment especially during hot and sunny summer afternoons. 

Ground level O3 is created by the chemical reactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. NOx and VOCs, also ozone precursors, come from motor vehicles, industrial processes, power generation, and consumer products among many other things including wildfire smoke. Urban and suburban areas will have higher levels of ozone than rural areas, but it can travel hundreds of miles. 

Breathing levels of ozone can cause a variety of health problems including throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, and congestion. Ozone can also worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. It can reduce lung function and inflame the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue. Even healthy people can experience difficulty breathing. Because Ozone typically forms during hot, sunny days, anyone who spends time enjoying the outdoors especially children, the elderly and active adults are at risk. 

You can protect yourself and those around you from Ozone by paying attention to your local air quality forecasts and real-time AQI. Go to OurCleanAir.com for Washoe County air quality information or AirNow.gov for your local area (some areas may not have monitoring data on AirNow.) Exercise, play, or work outside when ozone levels are not high, typically during the morning and evening hours. 

You can also reduce your emissions by: 
  • driving less, 
  • not idling your engine, 
  • commuting by bike or public transportation, 
  • filling your gas tank up at dusk, 
  • using environmentally friendly paints and cleaners, 
  • and bring energy efficient at home and work. 

 The Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division (AQMD) is also doing its part to reduce Ozone precursors and educating the public. The annual smog check program is one of the measure in Washoe County to reduce emissions from motor vehicles. AQMD also permits sources of VOCs and NOx from business and industrial facilities. Under our award winning public education "Keep it Clean" campaign, we implement clean air strategies like having idle-free areas around schools and encouraging and advocating for biking, walking, public transit, alternative fuel vehicles, and other sustainable practices. 

Everyone can do something to take care of our air so we can all enjoy summertime in the Sierra and western Nevada. For more information go to OurCleanAir.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. 

-Washoe County Air Quality 

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