Air quality health advisory issued for Friday, affecting 46 counties in New York, including Suffolk

An air quality health advisory has been issued for tomorrow for Long Island, New York City Metro, Lower Hudson Valley and three other regions in New York State.

The pollutant of concern is ground-level ozone, the State Department of Environmental Conservation said in a press release this afternoon.

The advisory will be in effect from 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. tomorrow.

The State DEC and the State Department of Health issue air quality health advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter, are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern.

The AQI today on Long Island is at 100, according to the DEC’s AQI forecast page.

These AQI values are an unusual occurrence this early in the warm-weather season.

Summer heat can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of photochemical smog. Automobile exhaust and out-of-state emission sources are the primary sources of ground-level ozone and are the most serious air pollution problems in the Northeast.

People — especially young children, those who exercise outdoors, those involved in vigorous outdoor work and those who have respiratory disease (such as asthma) — should consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity when ozone levels are the highest (generally afternoon to early evening). When outdoor levels of ozone are elevated, going indoors will usually reduce your exposure, the DEC in the health advisory. Individuals experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing should consider consulting their doctor.

Ozone levels generally decrease at night and can be minimized during daylight hours by curtailment of automobile travel and the use of public transportation where available.

New Yorkers are urged to take steps to save energy and reduce pollution:

use mass transit or carpool instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities;

conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips;

turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas;

use fans to circulate air. If air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees;

close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air;

limit use of household appliances — dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters. If necessary, run the appliances at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours;

set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;

purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label; and

reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5 such as smoking. A toll-free Air Quality Hotline (1-800-535-1345) has been established by DEC to keep New Yorkers informed of the latest Air Quality situation.

Additional information on ozone and PM 2.5 is available on DEC’s website and on DOH’s website.

Tomorrow’s Air Quality Health Advisory regions consist of the following:

Long Island, which includes Nassau and Suffolk counties;

New York City Metro, which includes the five boroughs of New York City, Rockland, and Westchester counties;

Lower Hudson Valley, which includes Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Putnam counties;

Eastern Lake Ontario, which includes northern Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Oswego, and Wayne counties;

Central New York, which includes Allegany, Broome, southern Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, southern Herkimer, Livingston, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, and Yates counties; and

Western New York, which includes Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties.