Learn when to take activities indoors to avoid unhealthy air quality impacts.
By Kristy Monji, Senior EHS Consultant
It’s Air Quality Awareness Week! NV5 is excited to encourage you to learn about what causes poor air quality and determine when to take your activities indoors to avoid unhealthy air quality impacts. You may have heard that ozone can be “good” or “bad” for health and the environment depending on where it’s found in the atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone is “good” because it protects living things from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ground-level ozone is “bad” because it can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma. Ground-level ozone is one of the six common air pollutants identified in the Clean Air Act. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls these “criteria air pollutants” because their levels in outdoor air need to be limited based on health criteria.
May marks the start of ozone season in Greater Los Angeles. This pollutant forms in the atmosphere through complex reactions between chemicals directly emitted from vehicles, industrial plants, consumer products, and many other sources. During this time of year, hot, stagnant days with strong sunlight can increase the formation of ground-level ozone, commonly referred to as ‘smog’, creating potentially unhealthy air quality throughout the region. It is common to reach unhealthy ozone levels in the afternoon hours throughout the region, especially in inland areas. South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) reminds residents to stay informed of air quality levels in their area and adjust their outdoor activities accordingly.
Here’s what to do during periods of unhealthy air quality:
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101 to 150). The following groups should limit prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion: People with heart disease, pregnant women, children and older adults, people with lung diseases, such as asthma.
- Unhealthy (151 to 200). Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects (e.g. difficulty breathing and throat irritation), and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious effects. People with heart disease, pregnant women, children and older adults, people with lung diseases, and asthma.
- Very Unhealthy (201 to 300). This would generate a health alert suggesting that everyone may experience more serious health effects. The following groups should avoid all outdoor physical activity: People with heart disease, pregnant women, children and older adults, people with lung diseases, such as asthma. Everyone should else should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor activity.
- “Hazardous” (greater than 300). This would trigger a health warning of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. Everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors.
Smog season officially ends on September 30th, although high ozone levels may continue well into the fall, and other air pollutants can lead to unhealthy air quality during the rest of the year. NV5 provides compliance assistance to many industrial facilities who are required to limit and report their NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions because these pollutants are the precursors in the formation of ozone. If you would like more information about air quality regulations or public health impacts, please contact NV5’s Air Quality Team at 626.567.2383 or Environmental@NV5.com.