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Poor Air Quality Predicted for South Coastal Massachusetts and Much of Connecticut

Release Date: 05/02/2001
Contact Information: Amy Miller (617-918-1042)

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is predicting unhealthy air quality for Thursday, May 3, with elevated levels of ground-level ozone predicted for extreme south coastal Massachusetts, including the Cape and Islands, and all of Connecticut, except for New London and Windham counties.

Ground level ozone, the main ingredient of smog, is unhealthy when average concentrations exceed 0.08 parts per million over an eight-hour period. Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are particularly sensitive to ozone, including children and adults who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

Exposure to elevated ozone levels can cause serious breathing problems, aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases, and make people more susceptible to respiratory infection. The most common systems of ozone exposure are coughing, pain when taking a deep breath, and for people with respiratory disease, shortness of breath.

When elevated ozone levels are expected, EPA recommends that people limit strenuous outdoor activity during the afternoon and early evening hours, when ozone levels are highest.

"Ground-level ozone smog threatens the public health," said Ira Leighton, EPA New England's acting regional administrator. "We have progressed in our battle against smog in New England, but we continue to see many days when the air is unhealthful. On those days, EPA and the medical community suggest residents refrain from strenuous outdoor activity. It is unfortunate that the first warm days of the year bring with them unhealthy air quality."

Ground-level ozone (smog) is formed when volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen interact in the presence of sunlight. Cars, trucks and buses give off the majority of the pollution that makes smog. Fossil fuel burning at electric powerplants, particularly on hot days, give off a lot of smog-making pollution. Gas stations, print shops, household products like paints and cleaners, as well as lawn and garden equipment also add significantly to the ozone smog.

When air quality is forecast to be unhealthy, EPA asks the public to take ozone action. Citizens or employers can help get rid of ozone-smog by limiting activities that make air pollution. For instance:

• use public transportation, or walk whenever possible;
  
• if you must drive, car pool and combine trips;
  
• go to the gas station at night to cut down on gasoline vapors getting into the air during day light hours when the sun can cook the vapors and form ozone;
  
• use less electricity - turn air conditioning to a higher temperature, turn out lights and computer screens when you're not using them;
  
• avoid using gasoline powered engines, such as lawn mowers, chain saws, leaf blowers on unhealthy air days.

Citizens can also sign up at this web address to receive smog alerts from EPA's New England office. Smog Alert is a free service provided by EPA in conjunction with the New England states which automatically notifies you by e-mail or fax when high concentrations of ground-level ozone are predicted in your area. Smog Alerts are issued to notify interested persons of predicted poor air quality in specific geographical areas of New England throughout the smog season, May through September.