What do you do on Ozone Action Days?
Ozone Action Day Tips
- Conserve electricity and set your air conditioner at a higher temperature.
- Choose a cleaner commute — share a ride to work or use public transportation.
- Defer use of gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment.
- Refuel cars and trucks after dusk.
- Combine errands and reduce trips.
When did Ozone Action Days start?
1998
Since the inception of the Ozone Action Days program in 1998, the participating agencies have worked to increase public awareness of ozone-related health risks and ways to reduce ozone precursor emissions.
Is today an Ozone Action Day in Austin?
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued an Ozone Action Day for the Austin area for Friday, June 18, 2021. Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution in the Austin area on Friday.
What is Ozone Action Day alert?
An Ozone Action Day alert is an email or text notification that is sent out when the air (ozone) pollution is predicted to reach unhealthy levels the next day. Click here for more information on what ozone is, how it affects our health, and how to reduce ozone pollution.
What conditions make ozone action days more likely?
An Ozone Action Day, which can be declared by a local municipality, country or state, is observed at certain times during the summer months, when weather conditions (such as heat, humidity, and air stagnation) run the risk of causing health problems.
What causes ozone alert days?
When temperatures are high, sunshine is strong, and winds are low, ozone can accumulate at unhealthy levels. An Ozone Action Day is declared when weather conditions are likely to combine with pollution emissions to form high levels of ozone near the ground that may cause harmful health effects.
What causes high ozone days?
This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments, but can still reach high levels during colder months.
Why is Texas Air quality bad?
Texas is known for its blue skies and bright summer days. However, hot weather and pollutants from cars, trucks, and factories can make the air dirty and unhealthy, especially for Texans who are sensitive to air pollution. The two main things that can make the air unhealthy are ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM2.
Why is it hazy in Central Texas?
Saharan dust blows into Texas, causing hazy conditions and lower air quality | KXAN Austin.
Is today a Clean air Action Day?
On Wednesday, August 4, 2021, we invite you to join us for Clean Air Action Day by doing at least one thing to help improve air quality.
What is high ozone days?
An Ozone Action Day is declared when weather conditions are likely to combine with pollution emissions to form high levels of ozone near the ground that may cause harmful health effects. Simple actions everyone can take to reduce air pollution include: Limit driving.
When to use Ozone Action Day in Texas?
Meteorologists from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) can forecast a day in advance when ozone levels may be elevated. If elevated levels are forecast, SETRPC will call an Ozone Action Day ….a day when individuals should try to reduce ozone-producing activities.
How many times higher are indoor ozone levels in Texas?
It is possible for indoor levels of air pollutants to reach up to two to five times higher, and occasionally even 1,000 times higher, than outdoor levels—according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
When does TCEQ tell the public about high ozone levels?
The TCEQ informs the public typically a day in advance when conditions are forecast to be favorable for high ozone levels in any of the participating areas so citizens, businesses, and industry can take steps to reduce the pollutants that contribute to ozone formation.
How does an Ozone Action Day Forecast work?
The Ozone Action Day forecast seasons are based on when each region is likely to experience elevated ozone concentrations. Each forecast predicts whether ozone levels for the following day in an area are expected to reach or exceed the EPA’s AQI Level Orange — an eight-hour average of 71 parts per billion or a one-hour average of 125 ppb.