Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air Quality
- Check daily air pollution forecasts in your area. The color-coded forecasts can let you know when the air is unhealthy in your community. Sources include local radio and TV weather reports, newspapers and online at airnow.gov.
- Avoid exercising outdoors when the air quality is unhealthy. When the air quality index (AQI) is high, walk indoors in a shopping mall or gym or use an exercise machine. Limit the amount of time your child spends playing outdoors if the air quality is unhealthy.
- Always avoid exercising near high-traffic areas. Even when air quality forecasts are green, the vehicles on busy highways can create high pollution levels up to one-third a mile away.
Who is most at risk?
Several groups of people are particularly sensitive to ozone, especially when they are active outdoors. This is because ozone levels are higher outdoors, and physical activity causes faster and deeper breathing, drawing more ozone into the body.
- People with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema, can be particularly sensitive to ozone. They will generally experience more serious health effects at lower levels. Ozone can aggravate their diseases, leading to increased medication use, doctor and emergency room visits, and hospital admissions.
- Children, including teenagers, are at higher risk from ozone exposure because they often play outdoors in warmer weather when ozone levels are higher, they are more likely to have asthma (which may be aggravated by ozone exposure), and their lungs are still developing.
- Older adults may be more affected by ozone exposure, possibly because they are more likely to have pre-existing lung disease.
- Active people of all ages who exercise or work vigorously outdoors are at increased risk.
- Some healthy people are more sensitive to ozone. They may experience health effects at lower ozone levels than the average person even though they have none of the risk factors listed above. There may be a genetic basis for this increased sensitivity.
In general, as concentrations of ground-level ozone increase, more people begin to experience more serious health effects. When levels are very high, everyone should be concerned about ozone exposure.
- At highest risk from particle pollution are people with heart or lung disease, older adults (possibly because they may have undiagnosed heart or lung disease), and children (because their lungs are still developing, they are more likely to have asthma, and they are more active outdoors).
- Particles of concern include both “fine" particles (that are so small they can only be seen through an electron microscope) and somewhat larger "coarse" dust particles. Fine particles have been more clearly linked to the most serious health problems.
- Particles can aggravate heart diseases such as congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. If you have heart disease, particles may cause you to experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue. Particles have also been associated with cardiac arrhythmias and heart attacks.
- Particles can aggravate lung diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, causing increased medication use and doctor visits. If you have lung disease, and you are exposed to particles, you may not be able to breathe as deeply or vigorously as normal.You may have respiratory symptoms including coughing, phlegm, chest discomfort, wheezing and shortness of breath.You also may experience these symptoms even if you're healthy, although you are unlikely to experience more serious effects. Particles can also increase your susceptibility to respiratory infections.
Help to Improve the Air Quality in Your Community:
- Conserve energy - at home, at work, everywhere.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office equipment.
- Carpool, use public transportation, bike, or walk whenever possible.
- Follow gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery, being careful not to spill fuel and always tightening your gas cap securely.
- Consider purchasing portable gasoline containers labeled “spill-proof,” where available.
- Keep car, boat, and other engines properly tuned.
- Be sure your tires are properly inflated.
- Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible.
- Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste.
- Consider using gas logs instead of wood.
On Days when High Ozone Levels are Expected, Take these Extra Steps to Reduce Pollution:
- Choose a cleaner commute - share a ride to work or use public transportation.
- Combine errands and reduce trips. Walk to errands when possible.
- Avoid excessive idling of your automobile.
- Refuel your car in the evening when its cooler.
- Conserve electricity and set air conditioners no lower than 78 degrees.
- Defer lawn and gardening chores that use gasoline-powered equipment, or wait until evening.
On Days when High Particle Levels are Expected, Take these Extra Steps to Reduce Pollution:
- Reduce the number of trips you take in your car.
- Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use.
- Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.
- Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.