High pollution advisory issued for Phoenix on Monday
Jun 23, 2019, 4:59 PM | Updated: 6:12 pm
(Arizona Department of Environmental Quality)
PHOENIX– The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued an ozone high pollution advisory for the Phoenix area for Monday.
This is the seventh ozone air quality alert in two weeks, including three in the past week.
The forecast is projecting an ozone health watch for Tuesday as well. The department updates the forecast hourly on their website.
The ADEQ recommends that people, especially children and adults with respiratory problems or heart disease, limit their outdoor activity.
The advisory means that in conjunction with forecasted weather conditions, the local ozone levels pose a health risk. Symptoms can include itchy eyes, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and chest pain among others.
The ADEQ advises to drive as little as possible and utilize carpool when available. They also recommend limiting waiting in drive-thrus and utilizing gasoline-powered equipment later in the day.
Ground level ozone forms when two types of pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), react to sunlight. These pollutants mostly come from automobiles but can also come from power plants and products like paints.