Air quality health advisory in effect today

An air quality health advisory is in effect today for the Long Island region, where levels of ground level ozone will make the air unhealthy for sensitive groups, including  young children, people with cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease such as asthma.

The ozone advisory will be in effect from 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. today,  the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday evening.

An air quality health advisory for ozone is also in effect today for the New York City Metro region, which includes Rockland and Westchester counties, and the Lower Hudson Valley region.

Summer heat often leads to the formation of ground-level ozone in this region. Today’s high temperature is forecast to reach 84 degrees locally.

Ground-level ozone is a major component of photochemical smog. Automobile exhaust and out-of-state emission sources are the primary sources of ground-level ozone and the most serious air pollution problems in the Northeast, according to the State DEC.

Ozone is produced when sunlight chemically reacts with chemicals from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Ozone is invisible but it can produce hazy skies and reduce visibility in high concentrations.

Today’s air quality health advisory for ozone is not related to smoke from the Canadian wildfires that have severely impacted air quality in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

“In the Long Island area, any smoke from the wildfires is being pushed off shore,” said Dave Radell, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Upton. The advisory, which is issued by meteorologists at the DEC, Radell noted, is for “ground concentration of ozone, which is typical on summer days in this

The DEC issues 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 is expected to reach 101 in the Long Island region and 108 in the NYC Metro region this afternoon and evening, according to the advisory.

The State Department of Health has published information on the impact of wildfires on air quality in New York, due to pollution from fine particulate matter (PM 2.5).

Today’s air quality health advisory is the second issued for the Long Island region so far this year. An air quality health advisory for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was issued for April 24 due to smoke from a massive wildfire that burned thousands of acres of woodlands in New Jersey and parts of Western New York.

When the AQI exceeds 100, state health officials advise people, especially those with lung disease such as asthma, young children, the elderly, and those who work or exercise outdoors, to limit strenuous outdoor activity in the afternoon and early evening when ozone levels are the highest. Individuals with asthma and those who experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing should spend more time indoors and discuss symptoms with their health care provider.

State officials urge New Yorkers to take the following energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps:

• 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. If necessary, run the appliances at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters;
• 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. 

Additional information on ozone and fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution is available on DEC’s website.

The DEC has published a new fact sheet about the Air Quality Index. (See below.)